I am Borg, Part 2
by Kudara
Summary: Seven adjusts to her new body.  Her relationships with Captain Janeway and B'Elanna change as a result of her experiences on Mularan. Continued in I am Borg, Part 3.
1. I am Borg, Part 2, Chapter 1

**I am Borg – Part 2 - Chapter 1 **

**By Kudara  
**  
Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and all who sail in her belong to Paramount/Viacom and no infringement of copyright/trade marks is intended.  
  
Stardate: 52691  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: Seven returns to Voyager  
  
Klingon:  
  
qatojbe' - I will not deceive you  
  
taHqeq – swear word meaning dishonest, deceitful. Classic Klingon insult.

* * *

Seven materialized on the transporter pad and looked around at the group assembled to greet her. Captain Janeway of course was there as was Commander Chakotay and Lt. Commander Tuvok. Seven felt slightly uncomfortable under their intense looks; she was uncertain how to break the silence that seemed to have fallen.  
  
"Captain?" said Seven tentatively, with an inquiring look at Captain Janeway.  
  
Janeway smiled reassuringly and said, "Welcome back Seven, I've missed you."  
  
Seven looked at the Captain's face and realized that the older woman had missed her; not surprising after all this was the woman who had been willing to confront the Borg Queen to bring her back to Voyager. "I have missed you as well Captain," admitted Seven.  
  
Seven turned and acknowledged Chakotay politely and then with more warmth she said, "Lt. Commander Tuvok, I was able to use the meditation techniques you taught me during my recovery. They proved most helpful in assisting me with my unarmed martial arts training."  
  
Tuvok tilted his head and raised one eyebrow, "Indeed, meditation is most useful in centering oneself before any type of physical training."  
  
Seven gave him a small smile, "From the soul, to the body, into the world."  
  
Tuvok quirked his lips very slightly and said, "Perhaps you can demonstrate what you have learned at some point."  
  
Seven nodded to him and then looked at Janeway and Chakotay who for some reason were looking at her rather strangely.  
  
Seven shifted and looked inquisitively at Janeway, finally Janeway seemed to shake herself out of whatever had been bemusing her and she said, "You must want to see your new quarters."  
  
Seven smiled slightly, "I am looking forward to seeing the paintings Analea brought for me."  
  
Janeway said, "Your quarters are on Deck 9 Section 11. She also brought several sets of clothing; some are of the same style you are wearing. I wondered what they would look like, they suit you Seven."  
  
"Thank you," replied Seven recognizing that Kathryn was complementing her. Seven was determined to adapt to her Collective. Analea and Kayaln had taught her that politeness was much more important than she had ever realized. Therefore Seven was determined to understand what was polite behavior and what it was not, and apply what she learned to her own behavior.  
  
Tuvok, saying that he was on duty declined to accompany them to Seven's quarters. Chakotay declined as well saying that he needed to return to the bridge. Thus only Janeway and Seven stepped out of the turbolift at Deck 9 and proceeded along the corridor toward Section 11. Lt. Torres who had been headed toward the turbolift paused in the corridor to let the two pass, quickly glancing at Seven who met her eyes gravely and nodded to her.  
  
Seven paused and said, "Lt. Torres."  
  
B'Elanna wondered if Seven was about to confront her for her part in Seven's death, she straightened and said, "Seven."  
  
"I understand that Analea brought several training programs designed by Mulara to Voyager. The program of the inner temple garden has a training area, there is a Bat'leth trainer there named M'ara. You are welcome to use the program anytime you wish, and perhaps sometime you would be willing to practice with me," said Seven. She was being very careful to maintain neutral posture during this speech though she desperately wanted to stand with her hands behind her back.  
  
B'Elanna said the first thing that came into her head after Seven's speech, "I didn't know you knew how to fight with a Bat'leth."  
  
Seven dropped her eyes for a second and stiffened then forced herself to relax, "I have just begun my training. I am not very skilled. I understand that you might not want to practice with me due to my inexperience."  
  
B'Elanna was quick to reply before Seven continued, "No, that's fine we can just take it easy... Do you have a Bat'leth or do you use a replicated one?" B'Elanna asked curiously. She realized that she needed to wrap up the conversation quickly, Janeway was starting to look annoyed but Seven appeared to be willing to stand in the hall and talk for along time. Seven was even being polite, and she wasn't standing like she usually did at all. B'Elanna was also trying very hard not to stare at Seven's exoskeleton, from the data she knew basically the outline of it, but the reality was much more beautiful than she had thought. The exoskeleton around Seven's left eye gleamed brilliantly silver in the light with fine lines of blue and gold forming intricate patterns.  
  
Seven replied "I do not have one of my own; I assume I will be using the ones provided in the program."  
  
Janeway interrupted, "Actually you have one of your own, Analea delivered it with your paintings and clothes."  
  
Seven turned toward her, surprise and pleasure obvious for a moment on her face before it smoothed again. Seven turned back toward B'Elanna, "It appears I have a Bat'leth."  
  
B'Elanna glanced from Janeway to Seven and said, "Perhaps I can drop by and take a look at it later, I need to get headed to engineering now..."  
  
Seven nodded, "I did not realize I was keeping you from your duty Lt...my apologies."  
  
B'Elanna gaped for a moment then said, "That's alright. Well I had better get going. Captain, Seven." B'Elanna turned and walked toward the lift. As soon as she was safely in it she shook her head and wondered where the real Seven was. That had almost been surreal; Seven had never been that painfully polite to her, she sounded almost like Tuvok.  
  
B'Elanna had hardly recognized Seven between the fact that she wasn't wearing her usual biosuit and that she had her hair down. B'Elanna considered how Seven had looked and thought bemusedly that Seven was much more attractive in the looser clothes than she had ever been in the skintight biosuits.  
  
Seven turned back to the Captain and noticed the odd look once again, Seven wondered uneasily if she had already erred somehow. Maybe she should not have paused to talk with Lt. Torres. Seven resolved that as soon as she could she would make a detailed analysis of what was considered polite behavior.  
  
When they reached Deck 9 Section 11 they paused in front of a door and Kathryn indicated that Seven should precede her, as Seven approached the door it opened automatically to admit her. Seven stepped into her quarters and her gaze was immediately drawn to the painting at the other end of the room.  
  
Seven walked across the room towards it, barely glancing at the contents of the remainder of the quarters. She stared at the painting looking at how the soft brush strokes revealed both the simplicity and complexity of the molecule. Seven stepped back and looked at the painting again, this time she saw something in the whole which reminded her of when she had watched the Omega molecule form. Somehow the Omega molecule in the painting appeared to be watching her as she looked at it.  
  
"I don't know who painted it but they were very good," said Janeway.  
  
"Mulara did, her signature is in the bottom left corner," replied Seven absently. She was aware of Janeway moving closer to the painting and then a stifled sound of surprise.  
  
"I don't understand how I missed that before. Well Seven I would think few people could say they have original works of art painted by an energy being," said Janeway.  
  
Seven looked curiously at her, "You are probably correct." Seven wondered why Janeway was commenting on the painting, Mulara had made several things for Seven. The most notable was her own body in Seven's mind.  
  
Seven moved away from the Omega painting and began examining the rest of her quarters. She recognized the flower stills; they were of her favorite flowers in the inner temple garden. Continuing around the rooms she noticed the hydroponics lights above the bed and smiled at the thoughtfulness.  
  
The last thing she noticed in the room was her new Bat'leth. Seven walked over to it and picked it up, testing the weight of it and the length. She read the inscription 'Duty, Loyalty, Honor.' Seven admired the watered appearance of the blade for a few moments longer then reverently returned the weapon to its display hanger.  
  
"So do you like your new quarters?" asked Janeway with a smile.  
  
Seven returned the smile for just a second and replied, "Thank you for assigning them to me, and for assisting Analea with their decoration."  
  
"Of course, Seven, you should have been assigned them sooner. I'm sorry it took all of this for me to see that I should have never had you stay in the Cargo Bay for as long as I did." Janeway paused and looked at Seven seriously, "I owe you and apology for that, I never thought of how it affected the crew's opinion of you. I want you to know that I never though of you that way, and I didn't intend to imply that to the crew," finished Janeway.  
  
Seven was puzzled as to what 'that way' referred to until she recalled comments she had overheard of how she was a machine, stored away in the cargo bay between uses. Seven thought she should clarify the phrase before replying to the Captain. "Do you mean how some members of the crew referred to me as a machine that was stored in the cargo bay?" asked Seven.  
  
Janeway winced and nodded. Seven wondered how she was supposed to reply and finally settled upon, "Apology accepted, though if that was not your perception of my previous quarters why are you responsible for others erroneous perceptions?"  
  
"Because I'm the Captain, and I should have considered it. Analea brought several things to my attention, Seven. When I ordered that your Borg implants were to be removed the first few day's you were on Voyager I ordered the Doctor to ignore your own wishes in the matter. I argued that you were not capable of making your own decisions and essentially took on the role of guardian. Since then however, I've been rather haphazard in my treatment of you, sometimes I'm your Captain, sometimes I'm your mentor, and sometimes I still think of myself as your guardian. But I ignored something rather essential, and that was the fact that you needed me to be just one person, you needed me to react in more of a consistent manner than I did. I must have confused you quite frequently. I was too permissive with you at times letting you break the rules I expected others to follow, then suddenly I insisted that you follow those rules," explained Janeway.  
  
Seven listened to Kathryn's statement and thought back over the past year and had to agree, the shifting standard had been unsettling. "It was confusing, but I should have followed the standard others were held to. Instead I choose to follow the more 'permissive' standard for my own benefit... except it did not benefit me..."  
  
Janeway said, "Seven, its human nature to want to explore boundaries, it's not your fault that you wanted the most lenient boundary that I would allow you and resented it when I restricted them. I should have been more consistent...I should have been more like my mother was with me," commented Kathryn somewhat wryly. "I certainly did you no favors by allowing you so much freedom. I promise that I'll try to be more consistent with you, I'll let you know when you do something wrong and I'll try to explain as best I can why. I wanted to let you know this so that you don't think I'm punishing you in any way. I don't ever want you to think that, I'm correcting my own mistake, what I did wrong."  
  
Seven considered the Captains words and asked hesitantly, "You wish to act consistently as my guardian? I am not considered an adult then, you are following Mularan law." Seven was not particularly pleased with this turn of events; she did not consider herself to be a minor no matter what Mulara thought.  
  
Kathryn replied, "The fact that I feel you still need guidance does not mean that I think you are not an adult Seven. I don't think of myself as your guardian anymore in a legal sense. I do however care about what happens to you, and I want to do what's best for you if you will let me. Seven, I still feel the need for guidance; it's not something you outgrow. I wish almost every day that I could talk to my mother about things."  
  
Seven considered everything Kathryn had said and came to a tentative conclusion, "You think of yourself as my parent?" Seven looked curiously at her.  
  
Kathryn looked surprised for a second then thoughtful, "I guess I do, if that's not being too presumptuous. That's up to you of course; do you mind that I think of you more as a daughter than just a friend?"  
  
"That is acceptable," said Seven. Seven considered the woman in front of her and felt a rush of emotion, she barely remembered her own mother. Her own mother had not been able to save her from the Borg, but Kathryn had and not only once but twice. "By what term should I call you?" asked Seven.  
  
Kathryn smiled, "Captain in public and when you are acting as a crewmember. When we are in a more private setting please call me Kathryn."  
  
Seven nodded then asked, "Would you like anything Kathryn."  
  
"Coffee, black," said Kathryn starting to wonder what the Mularan's had done to make Seven so polite. Frankly it was starting to worry her; Seven was not acting like her old self. "Analea brought up three replicator patterns for you, the Pujaa and Quara fruits and the juice with the metallic and chemical elements in it."  
  
Seven was pleased to hear this and when she went over to the replicator she said, "Coffee, black," and picked up the cup then she said, "Quara fruit, sliced, room temperature". When the bowl appeared she picked that up as well and sat the coffee and fruit on the table. She then ordered some of the juice for herself. Kathryn had wandered over to the table and sat down with her coffee cup. "Have you tried the Mularan fruits yet Kathryn?" asked Seven.  
  
"No I haven't," answered Kathryn.  
  
Seven said, "I believe you will like this one."  
  
Kathryn took a slice of the fruit and bit into it, a surprised expression crossed her face, "It tastes like sweet bread. I'll have to remember the name so I can order it for breakfast sometimes."  
  
"I often have one for breakfast myself," said Seven as she took a few of the slices before Kathryn could eat them all.  
  
When Kathryn had finished her coffee she said, "I must return to the bridge, let me know if you need anything. You have the rest of today off of course, tomorrow morning we have a senior staff meeting at 0900 hours. If you want to talk more I'll be off duty in six hours."  
  
Seven nodded to Kathryn and watched her leave. Seven was pleased to have the day off though she had expected it. She needed to figure out how to schedule her days; her exercise protocol would take an hour a day to complete. She did not have enough holodeck time to practice unarmed or weapons training every day but she did have enough to practice every other day for an hour. Seven considered her quarters and realized that there was enough room for her to practice her katas here if she moved the furniture out of the way. Seven unpacked the pressure sensitive plates and hung them in a corner of the room, and then she looked around at her quarters in satisfaction.

* * *

Several hours later B'Elanna was headed back to her quarters and remembered that Seven had invited her to come by and look at her Bat'leth. She tapped her combadge and said "Torres to Seven."  
  
A few moments later Seven replied and B'Elanna asked if it would be convenient for her to come over.  
  
"You are welcome to come over now Lieutenant, I will probably be practicing my katas if you don't mind. I will set the door to admit you," replied Seven.  
  
B'Elanna was definitely curious now, what katas would Seven be doing she wondered. As far as she knew Seven had never practiced any form of martial arts in the past. "If you don't mind me watching sure Seven," said B'Elanna as she walked the few final meters to Seven's quarters. Seven had already set the door to admit her B'Elanna noted as the door opened when she approached it. B'Elanna walked in and tried to not be too obvious as she stared at Seven moving gracefully and powerfully though an unarmed martial arts kata.  
  
B'Elanna was not an expert in unarmed styles so she couldn't tell exactly how well Seven was doing the kata. But she could tell that Seven was fairly skilled, each movement flowed into the next making it appear that Seven was actually performing some type of dance.  
  
In between one kata and the next Seven said, "Please sit Lieutenant, I will be finished shortly. You are welcome to replicate a drink for yourself if you would like one." Seven was proud of herself, she had spent several hours today going over Starfleet protocol and courtesies for a second time, she had studied them over a year ago but had deemed them irrelevant at the time. She had also read several studies on what humans called polite behavior or manners.  
  
B'Elanna looked at Seven oddly, "Um, thanks for the offer but I'm not thirsty right now." B'Elanna heard what sounded almost like a chuckle from Seven and stared at her for a moment before grinning, "That's usually your line isn't it." A brief smirk from Seven answered her statement. B'Elanna sat down at the table and looked about the room, finally noticing the Bat'leth in its display hangers beside the door.  
  
Seven finished her katas and walked over to the replicator and got herself a glass of water, she looked at Lt. Torres and said, "You may pick up the Bat'leth if you would like."  
  
B'Elanna had been waiting for the invitation and she walked over to the blade and examined the layered surface, "What metal is this made of, it's not baakonite."  
  
"It is made of poly-deutonic alloy," replied Seven.  
  
B'Elanna looked at her and then back at the blade then gently picked it up feeling the weight of it. She read the inscription that ran below the grips, "Qu', matlh, batlh; who made this Seven?" B'Elanna was aware of what the words meant she was surprised that someone had inscribed them upon the blade.  
  
Seven looked at her curiously, "I imagine that Mulara made the Bat'leth. The Mularan's do not have the technology to work with poly-deutonic alloy."  
  
"Mulara," said B'Elanna surprised and looked back down at the Bat'leth she was holding.  
  
"Yes," said Seven, "She also created the pictures I have. I especially like the painting of the Omega molecule."  
  
B'Elanna carefully replaced the Bat'leth and walked over to the indicated painting, "I recognized it, Janeway didn't say anything about it? I mean you pretty much have classified information hanging on your wall."  
  
Seven considered this and said, "I shall refer to it as a kal-toh sphere from now on, I had forgotten that Starfleet classified all information about it. All the Borg know about the Omega Molecule...they even know the resonance frequency now." Seven grimaced, the last time she had been onboard a Borg vessel they had assimilated her memories, which meant they had access to all the research she had done on the Omega molecule.  
  
"How would they know that? Oh when you went back to the Borg after they blackmailed you." B'Elanna answered her own question.  
  
"An antiquated, but accurate term," acknowledged Seven.  
  
B'Elanna snorted, glancing at Seven she finally asked what had been bothering her all day. "Seven, why are you being so polite?"  
  
Seven glanced at the Lieutenant and said, "I had dismissed such behavior before as inefficient and irrelevant. However, being regarded as impolite and rude caused me to be generally disliked by the crew. My behavior resulted in Muahe being able to gather information about me, which he used when he decided to kill me. I no longer regard being polite as irrelevant; I have no desire for that to occur again. Therefore, I am making the adaptation to this Collective my highest priority. I have identified politeness and accurate communications to be essential in this effort."  
  
B'Elanna stared at Seven stunned that she had come to the conclusion she had. Then she said, "Why don't you hate us, why don't you hate me? Or do you? And don't hide behind politeness."  
  
"qatojbe'," replied Seven and paused to make sure B'Elanna understood what she had said, "Why would I hate you?"  
  
"They sent us their security tapes; I know that Muahe told you that I had given them that information. I didn't though Seven, I didn't talk to their intelligence people, I wouldn't do that," said B'Elanna earnestly.  
  
Seven interrupted her, "I know... I remember watching, but I was never there...Perhaps Mulara gave me those memories. I was at the establishment when they tried to elicit information from you by offering alcoholic beverages. You called the man a taHqeq and told him you would drink nothing with him."  
  
B'Elanna was surprised, she hadn't told Tuvok that she had swore at the man in Klingon. "You watched?" she tried to understand what Seven was describing.  
  
"As if I were overhead when the conversation took place," clarified Seven.  
  
"Then you saw the people who didn't keep their mouths shut." stated B'Elanna.  
  
Seven replied shortly, "Yes."  
  
"Then you know that almost all of them were from engineering. So I am responsible, I'm the one that started the names and I'm the one that didn't stop them from treating you rudely," said B'Elanna in a rush looking angrily at Seven.  
  
Seven was confused and uneasy, why was Lt. Torres angry with her. She had done nothing that she knew of to anger the engineer, maybe her reply had been too short or maybe the Lieutenant was angry that she knew what happened in the bar.  
  
"I'm sorry," essayed Seven trying to diffuse the other woman's anger.  
  
"Damn it!" said B'Elanna angrily and took a step toward Seven, "why are you..." B'Elanna found herself on the floor gasping for breath. Seven was now several feet away from her in a defensive stance. B'Elanna could hear her rapid breathing and smelled... fear. She gazed at Seven and saw the fear she had smelled in the woman's eyes. B'Elanna started to growl and lunge to her feet angered that Seven had shoved her, when she saw Seven tense and actually bare her teeth at her. Suddenly she froze realizing that she might be in real danger of Seven attacking her. She also knew that if Seven hit her at full strength she would probably kill her.  
  
B'Elanna relaxed backward, "I'm not going to attack you Seven. I wasn't angry at you, I was angry at myself. I shouldn't have...I'm sorry you thought I was angry with you Seven." B'Elanna moved slowly and ruefully rubbed her chest where she was certain there would be a palm sized bruise shortly. "I'm definitely sorry I made you think I was about to attack you." B'Elanna watched Seven trying to figure out if the other woman was relaxing yet.  
  
Seven dropped her hands and stood straighter a haunted look on her face, "I'm sorry I injured you Lieutenant. I believe I overreacted to the anger you displayed." Seven glanced at the Lieutenant shamed and asked, "Do you need to go to Sickbay?" Seven hesitantly moved toward Lt. Torres wondering if she had hurt the woman such that she could not get up.  
  
B'Elanna sat up and said, "No I'm fine I just didn't want to threaten you any more than I already had." Seven stopped moving towards her when she sat up, looking at her with concern. B'Elanna got slowly to her feet and sat back down at the table.  
  
"You will report me for striking you," said Seven in a monotone.  
  
B'Elanna looked at her trying to figure out what she was thinking, "No I won't, it was my fault. I've gotten used to you just ignoring me when I do things like that, I should have realized that you would react differently now. Honestly, I should never have invaded your personal space like that in the past."  
  
"I might have hurt you...for a moment I saw Muahe's face...I could have killed you," Seven was definitely agitated now, "I am a danger."  
  
"Woah, Seven stop. You didn't hurt me," B'Elanna rose from her seat at the table and approached Seven slowly. "Seven, I'm sorry I frightened you. I've just gotten used to you not being afraid of me when I'm angry."  
  
Seven closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to get her nanoprobes to deal with the hormones rushing through her system, she should have done it earlier but had been so shocked by her reaction that she had forgotten for a moment. Shortly she felt the physical symptoms abate and she felt calmer.  
  
Lt. Torres was watching her and asked, "Well you look better. What just happened?"  
  
"I instructed my nanoprobes to remove the excess adrenaline in my system, with my Borg systems it happened automatically. Now I must consciously initiate the process. I forgot to do it earlier; I apologize for being so emotional," said Seven and sat down at the table.  
  
B'Elanna put two and two together and said, "Is that one of the reasons you always were so calm? I used to wonder why you never were afraid or angry with me, I thought you were..." B'Elanna trailed off uncomfortably, realizing what she was about to say.  
  
Seven finished for her, "Incapable of feeling emotions. I have always been capable of feeling emotions Lieutenant. Emotions like anger and fear are usually caused or accompanied by a hormone reaction, therefore I could experience them only briefly before my nanoprobes compensated. However, I seldom was afraid of you Lieutenant; I generally stopped the actions that annoyed you when your physiological responses reached a certain level."  
  
B'Elanna stared at Seven, going through what she had just said to figure out what had caught her attention. "Wait, what do you mean you stopped? You knew what you were doing that made me angry and you kept doing it until just before I really lost my temper?!" said B'Elanna incredulous.  
  
Seven looked remarkably like a child that had been caught with their hand in the forbidden cookie jar at that moment. B'Elanna couldn't decide whether to be angry or amused at the obviously inadvertent admission. "Why did you do that Seven? and the truth Seven not some polite answer."  
  
Seven looked at Lt. Torres uncertainly and flushed slightly, she had not meant to ever let the woman know she had sometimes purposefully angered her. Seven was desperate to not anger Torres any further so she softly admitted, "Your emotions, you always display them so clearly. I have always been fascinated by your ability to feel. So sometimes I would anger you just to see them."  
  
B'Elanna gaped at the admission, everyone on this ship tried to not anger her, except apparently for Seven who sought it out. "You purposely angered me... to watch my emotions. Because you couldn't feel them?" hazarded B'Elanna.  
  
Seven nodded, "I could only feel mine fleetingly, I can always discern yours clearly." Seven continued speaking almost to herself, "It's why I included you when Kayaln asked me what things I thought were beautiful."  
  
B'Elanna looked at Seven closely her irritation derailed completely by the last comment. Seven looked back at her evenly, no sign of uneasiness apparent on her face. B'Elanna was confused, what had Seven meant by that, was Seven telling her she thought she was beautiful or was Seven saying her emotions were beautiful. B'Elanna felt she was suddenly floundering in unexpectedly deep waters, looking for solid land she asked, "Who is Kayaln and why was she asking you that?"  
  
"Kayaln was one of the High Priestess of Mulara. She is the one who taught me unarmed martial arts. She asked me what I thought was beautiful to help me with my training. Kayaln told me that I should bring what I felt was beautiful into my katas so I could bring them closer to perfection." Explained Seven.  
  
B'Elanna was completely confused now, "You want to show anger in your katas?"  
  
Seven shook her head, "No, not anger..." Seven frowned slightly thinking, trying to clarify why she had included Lt. Torres in her list. Hoping the woman wouldn't get angry again she finally said, "Passion, your ability to feel and project emotions so clearly."  
  
B'Elanna knew how she would take that admission from anyone else but Seven. With Seven however she just wasn't sure, B'Elanna looked searchingly into Seven's eyes but saw nothing but sincerity. Uneasily she wondered if Seven would even recognize attraction if she did feel it. With one more searching glance B'Elanna asked lightly, "What else made it onto your list?"  
  
Seven was relieved; apparently Lt. Torres had decided not to be angry with her. "The Omega molecule, the three flowers that I have paintings of, the design of my exoskeleton, you and the Captain."  
  
B'Elanna glanced at Seven at the last, and almost felt like laughing. B'Elanna glanced at the flower paintings in the room and had to agree that all of them were indeed beautiful. As for Seven's exoskeleton, well she would take her word on that, though her imagination helpfully supplied her with the flash of an image of a nude silver adorned Seven. "The Captain, what about her do you find beautiful?" asked B'Elanna carefully.  
  
Seven considered the question, "Her strength, her compassion, and her decisiveness in dangerous situations. I feel protected when she is near. I was confused by my feelings before today; now that we have agreed that she fills a parental role my feelings make sense to me."  
  
B'Elanna felt adrift again, "Parental role?"  
  
"Yes, the Captain asked if it was permissible for her to consider me as a daughter and I agreed that it was. Therefore she is in a parental role, Correct?" asked Seven.  
  
B'Elanna nodded, feeling slightly jealous of Seven. No wonder Janeway looked out for Seven's interests so fiercely.  
  
Seven commented pensively, "Kathryn is a better mother than my own. She took me away from the Borg instead of delivering me to them."  
  
Suddenly B'Elanna felt ashamed, remembering that Seven had just commented that Janeway made her feel safe. Seven certainly deserved someone to look out for her given what she had been through during her life. B'Elanna rubbed her forehead ridges, a headache was starting. She almost laughed aloud at herself; she had been so sure how things would be when Seven got back. Seven would be her usual self and she would struggle with her anger and take the honorable route and try to help Seven understand what she was doing wrong.  
  
Instead Seven had come back with the Borg superiority apparently knocked out of her; she was still confident but uncertain of her place and welcome. This Seven was polite, but the reasons behind the politeness made B'Elanna feel sickened and angry. No one should have to feel they had to perfectly adapt to the majority culture just to feel safe on Voyager, yet Seven felt just that way if B'Elanna was interpreting what she said correctly.  
  
"Janeway to Seven," interrupted Seven's com badge.  
  
Seven answered, "Yes Captain."  
  
"Seven, I forgot to mention that you need to go get an examination in Sickbay, the Doctor just called to ask when you would be in. And would you like to come to my quarters for dinner this evening? We can do an informal debriefing on what happened on Mulara." said Janeway.  
  
"I will report to Sickbay as soon as possible Captain, what time should I report to your quarters for dinner?" asked Seven.  
  
"1900 hours sound fine Seven?" said Janeway.  
  
"1900 hours is fine Captain." said Seven.  
  
They both heard the communications channel close and B'Elanna took the opportunity to escape from what had become an increasingly confusing situation. She needed time to think over all that had happened and all that she had learned. "I should get going, you need to go visit the Doctor, and I'm supposed to meet Tom and Harry at Sardines." said B'Elanna.  
  
"Certainly Lieutenant," said Seven standing.  
  
"Seven call me B'Elanna when we aren't on duty. And Seven don't tell everyone about your list of what's beautiful. I would only tell the Captain and maybe Tuvok, no one else." B'Elanna saw the question in Seven's eyes and before she could ask replied, "just trust me on this one, ok?"  
  
Seven nodded and said, "I will comply."  
  
B'Elanna smiled at this sign of the old Seven, "Have a good evening Seven," she said as she left and the door closed behind her leaving a curious Seven behind. 


	2. I am Borg, Part 2, Chapter 2

I am Borg – Part 2 - Chapter 2 By Kudara  
  
Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and all who sail in her belong to Paramount/Viacom and no infringement of copyright/trade marks is intended.  
  
Stardate: 52677  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: Dinner with the Captain. Paris gets a reprimand. B'Elanna and Seven exercise together.  
  
Klingon:  
  
vay' DaneHbogh yIchargh – Conquer what you desire.  
  
Seven had barely escaped from Sickbay in time to arrive at Kathryn's door by 1900 hours. She was finally able to persuade the hologram to stop running various scans on her, only by informing the Doctor that she was expected to report to the Captain.  
  
Seven rang the admittance chime and after a few seconds the door opened and Kathryn greeted her with a smile and invited her to enter. The dinner Kathryn had prepared was simple, pasta with alfredo sauce and chicken breasts, accompanied by a light white wine.  
  
After the meal was completed Kathryn invited Seven to sit on the couch with her and asked Seven to tell her about what she had experienced in the inner temple. Seven began with her first awakening in the healing tank and over the next few hours related the events up to the point where she had beamed up to Voyager.  
  
Kathryn had asked her questions about the discussions she and Analea and Kayaln had about how to read body language. Kathryn had sighed and after verifying that the Doctor had never mentioned the subject, apologized for not considering that Seven needed to know about such a thing.  
  
Kathryn grumbled aloud that perhaps the Doctor had not been a good choice for a teacher after all. Seven assured her that the Doctor had helped her quite well the first few months, lately though he seemed to have reached the conclusion that Seven knew all she needed to know.  
  
Seven looked at Kathryn and said, "I suspect that the Doctor feels I know all I need to know...in order to get along with the Doctor."  
  
Kathryn looked at her and said, "I suspected he was attracted to you, I never thought that he would purposefully limit what you knew so you would be dependent on him."  
  
Seven frowned slightly, "I did not mean to imply that, I have been imprecise. I do not believe he would do such a thing consciously. However, I do believe the Doctor may be concerned that I will...outgrow him and choose not to interact with him if I progress much farther in regaining my humanity. From his perspective the fully human members of the crew do not care to interact with him unless forced to do so, it would be logical for him to assume that I would do the same."  
  
Kathryn replied with some heat, "That doesn't give him the right to limit what he chooses to teach you. Now I wonder what else he hasn't mentioned in his lessons. I'll have to go over his lesson plans and see exactly what he has taught you." Kathryn paused then asked, "How do you feel about the Doctor Seven?"  
  
"He is a friend, I believe he would like to be more, but I do not share that desire. I have no wish to be more than a friend to the Doctor. I was...disappointed that he would bet on the state of my social development with Lt. Paris and then choose to win the bet by inviting me to the reception for the Kadi Ambassador," replied Seven.  
  
Kathryn stilled for a moment and asked, "How did you learn of this bet?"  
  
Seven's face tightened, "Lt. Paris discussed it with the Doctor during the reception."  
  
Kathryn asked, "Where were you when you heard them?"  
  
"Standing beside the Doctor," clarified Seven.  
  
Kathryn closed her eyes a moment, "I will discuss with Mr. Paris the appropriate subjects for betting and the inappropriate ones. That was inappropriate of Mr. Paris to bet on and inappropriate of the Doctor to accept. I'm sorry their behavior hurt you Seven, especially since it was your first date?"  
  
Seven said, "Second date, my first was with Lieutenant Chapman. The premature ending of the evening was unfortunate; I accidentally dislocated the Ensigns shoulder while dancing."  
  
"Any dates since the reception?" asked Kathryn hesitantly.  
  
Seven answered, "No, I determined that there were no potential mates for me aboard Voyager."  
  
Kathryn looked at Seven puzzled, "How exactly did you determine that? It takes time to decide if you are attracted to someone, you have to get to know people before you can establish whether you are attracted to them or not."  
  
Seven stared at Kathryn, "The Doctor told me to pick a suitable candidate from among the male members of the crew. I prepared a program that created a list of candidates based on work performance and compatible interests."  
  
Kathryn sat back on the couch and looked out for a moment to the stars streaking by, "Seven, you really cannot make a decision on who might be a suitable partner by that method. There are other variables that you need to consider besides work performance and compatible interests. But, perhaps now isn't the time to discuss this, not after what you've been through. Perhaps in a couple of months you might be ready to reconsider your decision."  
  
Seven was puzzled, "Why not now?"  
  
"You have just been though a very difficult experience Seven; it would not be the best time for you to begin a romantic relationship with someone. Not while you're going through so many changes, in a few months when things have settled down for you would be a better time," explained Kathryn.  
  
And give me more time to get used to the idea, thought Kathryn. I'm getting used to the idea of being her 'mother' I'm not sure if I'm ready to deal with the worries of her dating on top of that right now. Not to mention the fact that she would have to explain to Seven that she might also want to include the female members of the crew.  
  
Seven considered Kathryn's explanation, "I will comply. Though I will research the subject on my own, apparently the Doctors explanations were not complete."  
  
Kathryn took a deep breath and yielded to the inevitable, "That might be a good idea, you will probably have questions afterward, and I'll do my best to answer them...Unless you would prefer to ask someone else?" Kathryn remembered that she hadn't wanted to discuss certain things with her mother at all.  
  
"I can think of no one else I would ask besides you, or maybe Lt. Torres," responded Seven.  
  
"Lt. Torres?" questioned Kathryn, wondering what had changed between the two women to cause Seven to suddenly look upon her as a suitable confidant.  
  
"Lt. Torres, though we have frequently been antagonistic towards one another, has always been honest and direct in her dealings with me," said Seven.  
  
Kathryn had to admit that Seven was probably correct, B'Elanna was not one to be anything less than honest and direct. However, Kathryn wasn't certain that B'Elanna met the criteria for someone suitable for the type of discussion Seven would probably want to have after her research.  
  
"Yes, well you should probably choose a friend for those discussions, I'm not certain that you and B'Elanna are friends quiet yet, though I believe you could be given time," said Kathryn.  
  
Seven replied, "We discussed several issues today when B'Elanna came over to see my Bat'leth. I believe her invitation to call her B'Elanna while not on duty was an indication that she intends our relationship to change from an antagonistic one to one more amicable."  
  
Intrigued Kathryn asked, "What issues did you discuss?"  
  
Seven began explaining that they had discussed the reason behind Seven's decision to be polite. Kathryn did not react quite as negatively as B'Elanna had to her reasoning, but she seemed upset nonetheless.  
  
"Seven, while I agree that you should probably be more polite than you have in the past, I am upset because it sounds as though you feel that you are not safe from the crew unless you are polite to them. I understand why you feel that way though, it's just that it upsets me. I hope that everything works out to where you feel you can trust them again, and they realize that you aren't the person they assumed you were," said Kathryn.  
  
Seven said softly, "Arrogant, rude and superior? But I frequently did act that way. Even if sometimes it was unintentional on my part."  
  
Kathryn sighed, uncertain of what to say, "You are prideful of what you know, and for good reason, you are one of the brightest people I have known. You just need to learn how to express yourself ..."  
  
"More politely?" broke in Seven. "I am trying to do that but both B'Elanna and you have reacted negatively to my solution. How else can I correct the problem? People perceive me as being arrogant, rude and superior. My research indicates that the method of correcting my communication error is to be more polite." Seven finished with some agitation.  
  
Kathryn reached over and took one of Seven's hands in both of hers, hoping that the contact would calm her. Seven looked at her wonderingly, and then down at their joined hands, tentatively she returned the reassuring pressure. Seeing that Seven was calming down Kathryn tried to explain, "Seven, I don't disagree that you being more polite will help matters. I am upset though, with the events that lead you to this point, I'm upset that some of the members of this crew betrayed you. I don't disagree with your conclusion, I'm just unhappy with the incentive behind the rationale."  
  
"My reasoning is correct; you are upset with the events that lead me to make the conclusion. You can do nothing to change what happened, I can do nothing to change what happened. I can only modify my behavior so that it is unlikely to happen again," said Seven.  
  
"I know Seven; I know that I can't change what happened. I just wish...I could do something to lessen your pain," said Kathryn with suppressed emotion in her voice.  
  
"I am not in pain," said Seven, not quite meeting Kathryn's eyes.  
  
Kathryn raised an eyebrow, "Emotional pain Seven, which I think you know I meant."  
  
Seven looked at their joined hands, "I do not wish to feel this pain, how do I make it go away? It does not seem to have a hormonal component; I cannot command my nanoprobes to do anything about the cause of it."  
  
"Time helps Seven, and talking about how you are feeling, like we are now. It also helps to know that people care about you; I think there are more people than you know of that care about you Seven. I do, as does Chakotay, Tuvok, Harry, B'Elanna and of course the Doctor. And I haven't mentioned how much Naomi was concerned about you," finished Kathryn.  
  
"I wish it to go away now," said Seven, then she sighed "But I accept that it will take time."  
  
Kathryn thought that it was probably a good time to change the subject, she couldn't think of anything else to say about Sevens decision to be polite. "Would you like some coffee and some desert?"  
  
Seven remembered how she had said just before going back to the Borg Queen that one day she would try coffee, maybe now would be a good time to please Kathryn and try some of the beverage. "I would like that," Seven said, not adding on the please that she would have before their conversation. Kathryn's smile rewarded her and she felt that she had gauged her response correctly. Apparently a decrease in the formality of her responses was warranted to calm Kathryn and probably B'Elanna.  
  
Kathryn replicated two black coffees, some milk and sugar and two cheesecakes. Seven looked curiously at the milk and sugar when Kathryn brought them over. "Not everyone likes their coffee black like I do Seven, milk and sugar are commonly added to coffee according to taste. Try it without either first and see if you like it or if it's too bitter."  
  
Seven tried the coffee and grimaced at the taste; Kathryn obligingly added some milk to her coffee and urged her to try it again. This time the taste was much more acceptable, the milk having sweetened the coffee. "Is that alright or would you like to try sugar?" asked Kathryn.  
  
"Perhaps next time," said Seven. "It is acceptable with just the milk."  
  
Kathryn nodded and the two women chatted over the cheesecake about some of the holodeck programs that Mulara had provided and arranged a Velocity match in two days. Seven admitted afterwards that the coffee had been a pleasant choice with the cheesecake and Kathryn was certain that she had a new convert to her favorite obsession.  
  
Finally Kathryn noted the time and mentioned that they both needed to get some rest so they would be ready for the next day. Seven hesitated before she left and shyly asked if it were permissible for her to hug Kathryn. With a warm smile Kathryn said, "That would be most acceptable, Seven."  
  
Seven bent down and hugged Kathryn about the shoulders and said softy, "Thank you."  
  
Her embrace was returned as Kathryn hugged her back and said, "Any time you need to talk to me let me know," Kathryn released her and then said with laugh, "Well unless there is a yellow or red alert." Seven smiled back and nodded then turned and left, Kathryn stepped out into the hallway and watched her new daughter walk to the turbolift. She was pleased to see that Seven appeared to be walking more confidently than she had earlier in the day.  
  
B'Elanna, along with the other senior staff, was surprised to see Seven walk into the Briefing room the next morning wearing a science blue Starfleet uniform. The Captain had smiled proudly and the other senior staff complemented Seven on how good the uniform looked on her. After Seven briefly blushed from the attention they stopped, surprised at the show of emotion.  
  
The meeting turned out to be a short one since the only Department with anything of significance to report was Engineering. After B'Elanna had reported that repairs would be completed in the next four hours the Captain hurried though the rest of the meeting so she could go arrange for Voyager to depart from the space station.  
  
B'Elanna caught up with Seven after the morning brief, "Seven you mentioned practicing the Bat'leth together? When were you thinking?"  
  
"I have Holodeck One this evening from 1800 to 1900 hours, would you like to accompany me?" answered Seven.  
  
"I'll meet you there then," replied B'Elanna with a small smile.  
  
Seven was surprised and without thinking she returned it with a shy smile of her own before she stepped off on Deck 8, while B'Elanna stayed on the turbolift to descend to Deck 11.  
  
B'Elanna thought back to the meeting and was certain she was the only one who noticed when Seven briefly closed her eyes and breathed deeply to activate her nanoprobes. It brought home to B'Elanna how that one change made so much difference. Seven had to consciously choose to limit her emotions, before they had been limited for her and everyone had wrongly assumed she had none. B'Elanna resolved to keep her ears open for gossip about Seven; she didn't want anyone being hurtful towards her.  
  
Janeway finished the last of the diplomatic communications with the Mularans. Once again assuring them that Seven was fully recovered and that she had forgiven them for not stopping Muahe in time.  
  
Janeway didn't know whether the last was true but felt reasonably certain enough to make the statement to reassure the Mularans.  
  
After the last communication was done Janeway stepped out onto the Bridge and fixed her eyes on Tom Paris. "Mr. Paris if you would come to my Ready Room," she said in a flat voice. She was rewarded by the sight of his head whipping around at her tone and a worried look that entered his eyes. Janeway turned and went back into her Ready Room, not waiting on the Lieutenant.  
  
In a moment the chime sounded and she said "Enter." Paris walked uncertainly to stand in front of her desk, waiting for her to tell him to sit down. Instead she stood and leaned over the desk looking him in the eyes. "Mr. Paris unfortunately this is coming a bit late, however, I want you to understand something. Your betting is getting out of hand. If I hear you making another bet dealing with another crewmember's personal life I will bring you up for conduct unbecoming an officer."  
  
Janeway could see his eyes flicker with understanding and resentment. Janeway decided to stomp any ideas he might have, "More specifically I had better not hear of you making any bets that pertain in any way to Seven of Nine. Consider that a direct order, Lieutenant. I don't believe I have to explain myself further." The last was said with a definite chill that Janeway hoped got through Tom's ego.  
  
Janeway didn't really want to be too harsh with him but the idea that he had made such a callous bet and had humiliated Seven had severely disappointed her. "You are dismissed Lieutenant," finished Janeway. She sat back down in her chair and watched as he smartly turned around and left the room.  
  
Seven arrived outside of Holodeck One at 1755 hours precisely. B'Elanna was already waiting for her wearing a pair of black tights and tank top. Seven was wearing her Mularan clothing, a cream colored blouse and blue pants. She had changed her exoskeleton from silver to blue as well and B'Elanna gave a start of surprise when she saw her.  
  
"It changes color," B'Elanna exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, it can also change to red and there is a means for me to cover the entire surface with a thin layer of skin as well," stated Seven. Seven glanced once again at B'Elanna, experiencing a sense of appreciation of the woman's apparent strength revealed by the musculature of her arms and shoulders.  
  
B'Elanna absorbed this information realizing something important, "You can conceal the entire exoskeleton and appear fully human. Why don't you?"  
  
"I am not fully human; I am part Borg even though my implants are not anymore. It is part of who I am," said Seven.  
  
"Aren't you ashamed of your Borg past," blurted B'Elanna. She then realized what she had said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that. Forget it."  
  
Seven knew how hard it was for the half-Klingon woman to apologize, and she knew something of how hard it was for the woman in front of her to accept her dual nature. She had overheard enough comments over the past year and a half for her to know that B'Elanna did not always appreciate her Klingon half.  
  
Seven choose to answer, "I am angry that I was used to assimilate and kill others. I feel remorse for the things I was made to do. But my Borg enhancements allow me to be stronger than anyone aboard this vessel, they allow me to operate for far longer than anyone else, and my cortical node allows me access to the knowledge of thousands of species. It would be hypocritical for me to be ashamed of being Borg when I enjoy so many advantages from it."  
  
B'Elanna listened to Seven and was silent for a moment after she had finished. The holodeck doors opened and two crewmen exited, their Velocity outfits mute testimony as to their previous activity. Seven waited until they had left then said, "Computer activate holoprogram Seven Mulara Temple."  
  
Shortly the computer beeped and replied, "Holoprogram activated."  
  
Seven nodded to B'Elanna and they walked toward the holodeck doors which opened at their movement. Seven wondered where they would enter the program and smiled slightly when the doors closed and she found herself standing outside the glass door that lead to the room she had stayed in on Mulara. Looking curiously into the room she noted that it was completely bare.  
  
"The training area is to the left along this path, the gardens are to the right," Seven said and then proceeded up the left hand path. B'Elanna followed her looking curiously around at the park like area.  
  
"This is a recreation of the inner temple where you stayed?" B'Elanna asked curiously.  
  
"Yes, we entered outside of the doors which lead to my room; it was not bare though when I stayed here." They passed the path leading off to the bathing pool and Seven paused, "This path leads to the bathing pool and a waterfall that is used for rinsing." B'Elanna peered up the path and hesitated, Seven stopped looking at her curiously.  
  
"Do you think we could see if its still there?" B'Elanna asked.  
  
Seven nodded and they turned aside to walk single file along the path, it was not long before they reached the bathing pool and waterfall. B'Elanna stared at the large rock lined thermal pool and the small waterfall that fed the stream that meandered through the area. Seven looked at her and said, "I will be training on the holodeck three times a week, if you would like to use the pool at one of those times for bathing you may."  
  
B'Elanna looked a bit embarrassed but finally she chuckled, "I think I will take you up on that sometime. This looks relaxing."  
  
Seven nodded and asked, "Are you ready to proceed to the training area?"  
  
B'Elanna looked at Seven, "You're not being so formally polite, not that I want you to be," B'Elanna said the last in a rush, "just why the change?"  
  
"It seemed to bother you and the Captain. I determined that a less formal mode was required in order to not annoy you. It also seemed to cause both of you pain, which was not my intention," explained Seven.  
  
B'Elanna regarded her soberly, but just nodded, "Well it sounds more natural. I still wish though that you didn't feel that you have to be polite."  
  
Seven almost smiled, "You and the Captain sound alike, she too was not pleased with my reasoning and wished that circumstances were otherwise."  
  
B'Elanna nodded then looked ahead as they came around a corner and stared at the large pavilion. Two women stood by the structure, a Mularan woman dressed similarly to Seven and a Klingon woman. A weapons rack beside the structure held four Bat'leths.  
  
Seven paused saying, "B'Elanna there is something you should know."  
  
"What?" asked B'Elanna curiously.  
  
"The holograms may be more than just holograms," stated Seven. She watched to see if B'Elanna understood what she was saying and seeing the other woman whip her head around to look at the holograms, knew that she had. Seven started forward again toward the waiting woman and in a moment B'Elanna followed.  
  
"M'ara," Seven respectfully greeted the Klingon woman. "This is B'Elanna Torres, Chief Engineer of Voyager."  
  
"I know who B'Elanna Torres is," said M'ara. "Kayaln is sleeping right now, why don't you go and practice your katas with her Seven."  
  
Seven looked at her curiously and then asked, "She is here then?"  
  
M'ara nodded and Seven started toward the Mularan woman then paused looking back at B'Elanna.  
  
"I will evaluate her training," said M'ara. "Go or you won't have time to talk with her."  
  
Seven turned at that and went to join the Mularan woman, B'Elanna was surprised to see the two embrace in a quick hug before they walked to the other side of the pavilion. She hadn't been aware that Seven had gotten so close to either of the High Priestesses she had spoken of. B'Elanna had gathered, from the somewhat odd discussion, that in some manner Mulara was enabling Kayaln to actually be here while she was dreaming and that's why Seven had been so eager to talk to her friend while she could.  
  
B'Elanna turned her attention toward the Klingon hologram, she wasn't afraid but she was wary. The holograms words had affirmed what Seven had said, this wasn't just a hologram. Obviously Mulara had no intention of letting Seven go unsupervised on Voyager. B'Elanna wasn't certain if she should mention this to the Captain or not, Seven seemed entirely unconcerned about it, perhaps the Captain already knows thought B'Elanna.  
  
"Shall we begin," said M'ara and walked over to the weapons display to choose one of the two Bat'leths left.  
  
B'Elanna walked over toward her but found herself distracted by Seven. She hesitated for a moment watching Seven perform her Bat'leth katas. There was something different about how she moved with the Bat'leth than from what B'Elanna had seen when Seven had been doing her unarmed katas. B'Elanna was puzzled, Seven still moved gracefully and powerfully. But there was something else, finally B'Elanna realized the difference, Seven had looked calm while doing her unarmed katas. These however, had an element of emotion to them; there was an intensity that had been missing from the unarmed katas.  
  
Suddenly it dawned on B'Elanna what she was seeing. Seven had said that she tried to bring what she saw as beautiful into her katas. Seven had said that she saw her passion as beautiful, and B'Elanna was sure that this was what she was seeing in Seven's kata. B'Elanna had decided not to think of what Seven had admitted, but now seeing Seven striving to bring a sense of passion to her Bat'leth katas, B'Elanna had to admit she was flattered that Seven thought her passion was beautiful enough to want to emulate.  
  
"She comes closer every day to displaying her own passion, her own people's warrior spirit," said M'ara.  
  
B'Elanna jerked, surprised, she had forgotten for a moment that M'ara was there. "Her own people's?" asked B'Elanna.  
  
"She is descended of Viking blood from both parents, there is a banked fire under the ice she shows the world. For her to reach the perfection she desires she will have to touch her own fire. For now though she uses your fire as a guide, perhaps it will lead her to her own." M'ara paused and then turned her attention to B'Elanna, "Enough of Seven though, let us see what you know of the Bat'leth."  
  
B'Elanna was not particularly surprised when M'ara frowned at her after a few minutes of sparring and had asked if she had ever learned the katas for the weapon. After admitting that she hadn't M'ara had promptly began teaching her the first kata. B'Elanna was embarrassed, she was the half- Klingon, and the Borg knew more about how to handle the Bat'leth than she did.  
  
Seven had completed her katas, but she was still dissatisfied with them. She knew there was something missing, they felt incomplete.  
  
Kayaln gave her a one armed hug and said, "You are getting closer, that was much better than your last time. You need to use B'Elanna's passion as a guide to find your own passion, instead of trying to find her passion in yourself." Seven sighed, uncertain that she had a passion as intense as B'Elanna's inside herself.  
  
Seven glanced at her hand and noticed that her exoskeleton was now red; she had initiated the change when she realized that B'Elanna had not known that her exoskeleton could change color. Seven looked at it puzzled, the color seemed to be deeper and darker than she remembered from before, checking the current color against her memory of the old she realized that it had changed, curious.  
  
Seven and Kayaln wandered back over to where M'ara and B'Elanna were still training. M'ara had stopped the kata training due to B'Elanna's growing frustration and the two were now sparring, working out some of B'Elanna's anger.  
  
M'ara called a halt to the sparring when the two approached, B'Elanna was feeling much better her anger had worked itself out and she was feeling energized from the fighting. Suddenly a new scent entered the immediate area, salty-sweet with a tang of metal. B'Elanna took in a deep breath intrigued with the scent, and feeling the sharp stirrings of desire. She shook her head to clear it and looked for the source of the scent.  
  
M'ara chuckled and said, "I see that your exoskeleton is fully completed now Seven. I can scent the traces of your blood in the red coloration. Last time you tried the red it was not the proper color, now it is."  
  
Seven raised her hand to her nose and sniffed bemused, "You are correct, the scent is very faint but it is present. I had not realized the Klingon sense of smell was that well developed, I can barely scent the blood traces."  
  
"That is because it is your own," explained M'ara with an amused look at B'Elanna.  
  
B'Elanna stared at Seven and the now deep blood red design around her eye stunned. Seven was the source of the scent, B'Elanna was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to know what it would feel like to conquer the Borg, to lay claim to such a strong and intelligent mate. Her Klingon half said vay' DaneHbogh yIchargh.  
  
B'Elanna fought off the desire, Seven was an innocent, and she was with Tom Paris. It was wrong of her to feel this way, looking into Seven's eyes she knew that Seven had no idea what the smell of her blood was doing to the half-Klingon. There was only concern there and B'Elanna fought hard to quell the desire to growl her desire to the woman.  
  
B'Elanna knew that she had to come up with a reason to get away from the other woman. She couldn't tell Seven that the scent of her blood was bothering her it would only take Seven a short period of time to figure out exactly what that was likely to mean. She needed another excuse, luckily the computer announcing the five minute warning of the end of their holodeck time gave her the perfect one. "Well I'm going to head to my quarters for a quick shower, thanks for the invite Seven. We will have to do this again soon," said B'Elanna.  
  
Seven replied, "There are two teachers, you are welcome to join me any time B'Elanna. I will be running this program Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday between 1800 and 1900 hours."  
  
Seven realizing their time was almost up turned and thanked M'ara for her time and with a smile told Kayaln that she hoped she would see her again soon. The two holograms nodded and then disappeared as the holodeck returned to it's natural state.  
  
"I'll have to get used to that," muttered B'Elanna belatedly realizing that she had been rude. Seven looked at her curiously and B'Elanna elaborated, "I didn't thank her for her teaching, I'm just not used to needing to thank a holodeck program."  
  
The two of them exited the holodeck and greeted the two Ensigns who were impatiently waiting their turn. "Do you switch up training unarmed and Bat'leth?" asked B'Elanna curiously.  
  
"Yes," replied Seven as they continued along the corridor to the turbolift. "Deck 9," said Seven.  
  
After the two had agreed to meet again on Thursday night they separated and went to their respective quarters. B'Elanna leaned against the wall when she reached the safety of her quarters and took a deep breath of air. She desperately hoped that Seven had not been able to pick up the scent of her arousal, she really didn't feel up to the questions it would generate and she was quite sure Seven would bluntly ask her why she had been aroused.  
  
B'Elanna wondered how Seven would react if she knew, with the past between them, would she reject B'Elanna? Or did the fact that Seven found B'Elanna's passion beautiful mean that Seven would welcome B'Elanna's desire for her? B'Elanna knew she would not try to find out, she would not dishonor herself by betraying Tom.  
  
B'Elanna sighed and went to take a shower; with any luck Seven would not use that particular color of exoskeleton around her again. Maybe she would mention to Seven that she had thought that the woman had been hurt, no... she couldn't do that, it would be lying, she had never thought the faint smell had been from a wound. She would just have to control herself. B'Elanna hit the shower wall in anger, why couldn't she have had this reaction to Tom and why have this reaction to the Borg now? 


	3. I am Borg, Part 2, Chapter 3

I am Borg – Part 2 - Chapter 3 By Kudara  
  
Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and all who sail in her belong to Paramount/Viacom and no infringement of copyright/trade marks is intended.  
  
Stardate: 52681  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: Paris gets no sympathy from B'Elanna. Seven reads human relationship studies. Seven dreams.  
  
B'Elanna had just dressed after her shower and eaten a replicated dinner when the door chime rang, it was Tom. B'Elanna was still feeling guilty over her reaction to Seven so she gave him a warmer greeting than she normally would, however he seemed to be distracted and didn't respond very enthusiastically to her kiss.  
  
Concerned she asked, "What's wrong Tom?"  
  
"I know you don't want me to talk about Seven but I can't believe she went and told the Captain about that silly bet that I made with the Doctor. It's not like it was that big a deal. She overreacted to the whole thing," said Tom with a definite whine in his voice.  
  
B'Elanna said in confusion, "What bet?"  
  
Tom sat down on the couch and explained about the day that Seven had told them she had been observing their relationship. Tom had walked into Sardines that evening and the Doctor had taken it over for one of Seven's social lessons. "I was hard pressed not to laugh at the both of them, she was doing so badly. So I explained to the Doc that it was one thing for him to set up a controlled environment for her and another thing for her to be able to manage in the real world. We made it a bet, one month of freedom from the Sickbay if I won," explained Tom.  
  
"The date with Chapman," said B'Elanna remembering how she had reacted after Harry had sadly confided to her that he had not made Seven's list. She had been angry that Seven was so blind to how she had hurt Harry. She had just added it to the list of things that the arrogant, rude drone had done wrong. Now she wondered why Seven had thought that was the correct way to go about choosing a date. Then remembering who had been giving Seven lessons in humanity, she groaned to herself that had the Doctor written all over it. No telling what he had told Seven.  
  
"No actually I wasn't there for that, though it ended more disastrously than even I had anticipated, poor Chapman. No the date was supposed to be for the Kadi Ambassadors dinner. I guess the Doc took his opportunity and asked her himself. Personally I thought it was cheating, but the evening was going pretty well until I mentioned the bet," said Tom.  
  
"Oh," said B'Elanna keeping her temper under tight reins, she knew how angry Tom had been that day, and didn't put it past him to do something mean to get even.  
  
"Yea, when Seven heard we had made a bet about the date she got rather upset and walked out, threatened to rip off the Kadi Ambassador's arm when he stopped her in the doorway too. It was quite the scene, I hadn't realized that the Doctor had feelings for Seven until then," finished Tom.  
  
"So you humiliated her publicly," said B'Elanna. "Revenge for her doing that study on us?"  
  
"I didn't realize she would get so emotional," Tom tried to defend himself, "And she shouldn't have said that about everyone hearing us, she said that publicly."  
  
"That was my fault Tom, I knew as soon as I asked that I had done something stupid. Seven always answers me with the truth, if I hadn't wanted her to say it I shouldn't have asked. Why do you think I let you lead me away, I had already recognized I should have never asked if I didn't want to hear the answer," said B'Elanna.  
  
"She never intended to hurt either of us with that study Tom. Yet you deliberately set up a situation where you really could hurt her," B'Elanna said to Tom bluntly. "So what did the Captain say to you?"  
  
Tom was still smarting over the last comment; none of this was going like he wanted. B'Elanna was supposed to see his side of the situation, not still be defending Seven. Sulkily he said, "She gave me a direct order not to make bets about anyone's personal life anymore and to make no bets about Seven at all."  
  
"I would follow that suggestion Tom, and by the way don't even think about retaliating against Seven. Because I'm with the Captain on this one Tom, that was uncalled for, and if I hear of you planning anything I'll go right to Janeway. Now get out, I'm so angry right now I want to hit something and if you don't want it to be you I'd leave," growled B'Elanna.  
  
Tom looked at her stunned at her response, not only was she taking Seven's side but she was letting him know that she would take action to protect Seven from him. Seeing her obvious anger he decided that retreat was definitely the wise thing to do and hurriedly left.  
  
B'Elanna sat down on the couch after Tom left, she knew the only reason she hadn't told him it was over was because the betting incident had happened a week before Seven died. It would not be fair for her to end the relationship over something that had occurred when she was still treating Seven dishonorably. However if he pulled something like that again then the relationship was over. She had been furious when he had left but now that all seemed to be gone, now she only felt saddened that Seven's two attempts at romance had both went so disastrously.  
  
Seven spent the remainder of the evening reading various studies on human sexual behavior. Much of it was confusing to her, it seemed as thought there were no definite ways of efficiently choosing a mate, she corrected herself, partner. She had been surprised to learn that she perhaps should not have left out the female crew members, apparently though it was comparatively rare a significant percentage of humans preferred to choose partners that were of the same sex.  
  
To further complicate matters; apparently one had to figure out whether or not you were interested in males or females essentially by empirical observation of your own reactions. There was no scientific test that would quickly and decisively answer the question for you.  
  
No wonder Kathryn had told her that the method she had chosen would not work, thought Seven. There were multiple methods for suitably choosing potential partner. Most of the methods stressed that the person should be a friend first, only then should a mutual attraction be acted upon. Some of the studies suggested that the approach she had taken might help to weed out obvious mismatches, but other papers gave case studies where successful couples had not had many common interests to begin with but had developed common interests after they started dating.  
  
Also not all relationships progressed linearly to a long term monogamous relationships as the Doctor had insinuated. That might be the ideal relationship but the studies made it obvious that humans expected to have several sexual partners over the course of their lifetime. Only settling down with one preferred partner when they found someone they felt they wanted to spend the rest of their life with.  
  
Interestingly enough it was a book written for non-human species dating of humans that was of the most help to her, all the books written by humans made certain assumptions about the knowledge level of their reader. The book written to help aliens understand human sexual practices made no such assumptions and went into detail about almost every aspect of human sexual behavior, cultural expectations, polite behavior as it pertained to mentioning sexual topics, and even a linguistics section.  
  
It was in the linguistics section that Seven learned that humans usually used the term copulate when referring to intercourse between animals and rarely in scientific papers. The Borg referred to all sexual acts as copulation so Seven had naturally used the term, now she knew why she had gotten generally negative reactions whenever she used it. Seven wondered why the Doctor had not corrected her earlier. Others had tried to correct her usage but had not explained why the term copulate was unacceptable, she had thought they were merely adding euphemisms which were inefficient and so she had ignored them.  
  
However, this book made it clear that the different terms, though all referring to the same act, differed in their usage depending on the level of emotional commitment. Seven quickly found out that she should have been using the term intercourse instead of copulate. Having sex was intercourse with minimal emotional connotations, whereas making love implied that the two people involved cared for one another, though it did not necessarily imply they were in love.  
  
After reading the book Seven understood why her study of Tom Paris and B'Elanna had angered the two of them so. Even though she technically had not invaded their privacy she had studied them without their permission which was an implied invasion of their privacy. Further she had not informed them that their assumption of privacy in B'Elanna's quarters was compromised by inadequate soundproofing.  
  
Seven was uncertain how she was supposed to have responded to B'Elanna's question about how she knew when they were having intimate relations, but apparently her answer in the mess hall had been inappropriate. Perhaps she should have insisted that she answer the question in a less public place, Seven mused glancing at the field notes which indicated that all discussions involving a sexual topic were generally discussed privately among humans.  
  
It was getting very late and Seven realized she needed to go to sleep; she would have to think of a way to apologize to B'Elanna, hopefully one that would not make the engineer angry with her again. Seven undressed and slipped into her bed, as tired as she was it was not long before she slipped into slumber.  
  
She stood on a rocky hilltop looking out over a dirt track that wound through the valley below her, the cold wind chilled the metal of her chain mail and helm, and she held her Bat'leth under her right arm. Seven was aware that she must be dreaming, but where was this place? Why was she here?  
  
A sound attracted her attention back to the dirt track, a small group of women and children appeared walking along it. They looked behind them frequently with anxious and fearful faces. Seven could tell they appeared to all be humans; they also appeared to be of the same racial group. Without exception all of them were pale, and had various shades of blond hair, rather like her own coloring she realized. Their dress was primitive, layered wool garments covered by fur cloaks. A few of the older women held spears appearing to be guarding the rear of the group from something.  
  
They had not yet looked upward so they did not see her and she quietly watched the group as they drew near a point directly below her. Looking at them more closely she realized several of the older boys and women were injured with coarse bandaging wrapped around the wounds on arms and legs. There were seven women, four boys, three girls, and two infants being carried by their mothers, Seven noted. Seven thought the most likely cause given the groups general attitude was that they had been recently attacked and expected their attackers to be following them.  
  
As they passed by her position one of the women finally looked up and spotted her and called out in surprise. With astonishment Seven recognized the speech; it was Old Norse a language she knew only because the Collective had acquired it from her father. The woman had cried out, "Ware, enemy on the hill above us!"  
  
Seven watched, careful to make no aggressive moves as they paused and looked uncertainly at her. Comments of 'who is he', 'is he one of Chieftain Hakan's men', and 'what type of weapon is that' drifted up to her. Seven realized that between the thigh length chain mail with its undercoat of leather and her helm they could not tell she was a woman.  
  
"I mean you no harm," Seven finally called down to them to reassure them.  
  
The group fell silent as they realized that the person on the hill was no man. Suddenly a band of 10 men carrying spears in their hands, shields across their backs and swords at their sides came jogging into the valley. The group below Seven promptly ignored her and focused their attention on the men who had just come into view.  
  
Seven could tell from their frightened looks that these were the people they had been fleeing. Seven looked from the group of women, children and infants to the group of men approaching and without thinking began to move down the hill. She could hear the men approaching muttering in Norwegian to each other. Their muttered comments made it clear that they planned on making the women and children into slaves. A comment of 'what about the babes' was met with a short 'kill them they are of no use to us.'  
  
Seven's jaw tightened and she could feel her anger begin to rise, she decided not to control it with her nanoprobes yet though. This anger felt right, and as she heard comments from the oncoming men of what they planned to do with the women she made the decision that she would not permit any of what they were speaking about take place.  
  
The men had not really noticed Seven moving to put herself between them and their prey but the group of women had noticed her moving to protect them. Incredulous comments of 'what can she hope to do alone' and 'who is she' sounded clearly to her ears. She was not surprised when some of the women decided that if she wanted to delay the men they would take the opportunity she was giving them to escape. Others were arguing that they should help her.  
  
Seven turned and faced them for a moment and ordered, "Keep moving, I will stop them."  
  
The men had finally noticed her and they slowed somewhat trying to evaluate what the stranger was doing. Seven heard the women and children move away from her obeying her instruction. The band of men stopped about fifty feet away from her and their leader stepped forward and said, "Step out of our way stranger, this does not concern you. Chieftain Hakan is now the lord of these lands, and these women are now our slaves."  
  
Seven had already instructed her cortical node to activate her enhanced systems. Seven considered his words and replied, "By what right do you call them slaves."  
  
The man straightened and grinned derisively, "A shield maiden hopes to stand against all of us?" He laughed and his men laughed with him, "As soon as we kill you and catch up to them they will be our slaves."  
  
Seven calmly replied, "Then they are not slaves, and I will not let you capture them." Seven paused and then said, "There is no honor in attacking the weak. Let them go and leave, we do not have to fight unless you force me to."  
  
The man stared at her then drew back his arm and threw his spear. Seven did not bother with her Bat'leth, she easily stepped to the right and knocked the spear aside with her left arm. Seeing how easily she dealt with the thrown spear the other men hesitated a moment, but when their leader yelled for them to kill her, they also threw the spears they were holding.  
  
Seven wasn't entirely sure how to defend herself against multiple spears but watching their flight she realized that if she ran forward and engaged them she would avoid most of their spears and possibly surprise several of them. The tactic worked better than she expected, she only had to deflect two spears as she closed with the lead man.  
  
He barely had time to draw his sword before Seven attacked him, managing to block her first blow he was caught by surprise when she shifted her weight to her left foot and continued driving forward. Seven forced his blade to slide past her on the edge or joj of the Bat'leth and impaled him on the tiq.  
  
Seven continued moving and spun on her left foot, pulling her Bat'leth from the body and twisted around to meet her next attacker. She blocked his blade and then performed a glissade exactly as taught in her katas. Knocking the blade aside to the left she lunged forward and drove the tiq into the man's unprotected neck.  
  
Not letting her forward momentum stop, Seven moved around the dead man's left side and pulled her Bat'leth free of his neck. Seven's attack shifted her from in front of the group around to its left side and the men were struggling to reposition themselves so they could effectively attack her.  
  
Seven felt her lips curl back from her teeth, her anger no less intense because of the deaths of two of her attackers. She considered whether or not to activate her nanoprobes but then decided against it as her anger did not seem to be clouding her judgment. Distantly she wondered if this was what B'Elanna felt when she fought, did her anger sing through her blood, as Seven's did now?  
  
Seven struck the next man, forcefully pushing his sword to the right and leaving his left side unprotected to her attack, lunging forward she thrust the tiq into the man's chest. She did not have time to pull the weapon out when the next man attacked; Seven lifted the Bat'leth's free side upward and caught the descending sword on the Bat'leth's right chevwl, the curved area between the tiq and van.  
  
Using her strength she shoved against the man's sword and freed the other end of the Bat'leth. Seven trapped the sword blade between the right tiq and van and pulled the man to her right and downward as she stepped to his left. Continuing the Bat'leth's motion Seven brought the left side of the Bat'leth slamming down into the man's relatively unprotected back.  
  
The remaining six men were looking at her in shock; she had dispatched four of their group in less than thirty seconds with the strange weapon which seemed not to be slowed by their armor. They had dismissed her as a woman, yet she moved quicker and more powerfully than they. The men now approached her with more caution and two of them attacked at the same time.  
  
Seven stepped forward into the attack and caught the two blades on her Bat'leth, and then she shifted her weight to her left leg and snapped her right leg forward in a kick that broke the right most man's kneecap causing him to fall to the ground. One of the men had been smart enough to grab up one of the spears while the others had been fighting. When the man in front of him fell down screaming and clutching his knee he took the opportunity to thrust with his spear at the shield maiden.  
  
Seven saw the spear too late and bit back a cry of pain when it went through both mail and padding and into her side, desperately the man leaned over his companion before Seven could pull back and Seven felt the spear slide deeper into her until it just exited her back.  
  
Seven knew that the fibers surrounding her lung would constrict around the wound preventing further damage to her lungs. The same would occur with her muscles and skin, so she ignored the spear for the moment but knew she would have to deal with the length of the shaft soon.  
  
Seven stepped aggressively to the right and with a single left handed hold brought the joj of the Bat'leth across the back of the man who had thrust the spear into her with a slashing move that cut through his leather armor and sliced him nearly in half. Seven then continued moving away from the group and grabbed the spear shaft with her right hand and, being careful to not cause fresh damage, withdrew the spear from her torso.  
  
Flipping it she quickly drew back and threw it at one of the men who was closing on her, successfully skewering him through the chest. Seven continued to ignore the wound, counting on the fibers in her lungs and nanoprobes to repair the damage. The three remaining standing men charged her, desperately hoping that they could overwhelm the injured woman.  
  
Seven shifted the Bat'leth to her right hand and stepped widely to her left, allowing the mail and exoskeleton covering her left arm to deflect the sword of the leftmost attacker. Spinning around behind him she brought the Bat'leth around one handed in a graceful sweeping move that ended with it buried in the backs of two of her attackers. Seven finished the move by moving back and to the front of the left most man and freeing her Bat'leth by drawing the blade free in a slicing motion that increased the damage it had done.  
  
The remaining man backed away from her, turned around and started running back the way he had came.  
  
Seven looked around in surprise at the carnage she had wrought; the man with the broken kneecap was still alive. He was covered in the blood of the man she had killed who had speared her and he looked at her terrified as he lay on his side cradling his swelling knee. Suddenly Seven felt slightly sick as she looked around at the blood and smelt the odor of the dead men. She knew intellectually that the dead lost control of their bodily functions but smelling it was another matter.  
  
Seven quickly sent a command to her cortical node to deaden her sense of smell and another one to her nanoprobes to cleanse out the remaining hormones in her system. Seven left the injured man and glanced down the road where the women and children had retreated. She was surprised to see that they had stopped and were standing about 150 feet away from her. The awe and fear on their faces disturbed her and her and she glanced down at her gore covered Bat'leth.  
  
Seven considered how to clean the weapon and her eye fell on the cloak of one of the dead men. Seven stepped over to the body and tugged the cloak off the body and slowly walked toward the group as she began cleaning her blade.  
  
When she got closer to them she stopped and repeated what she had said earlier, "I mean you no harm."  
  
The woman at the front of the group who Seven took to be the leader said, "We thank you for your defense of us shield maiden, you are marvelously skilled with the strange blade you wield. I saw you were grievously injured, yet you walk as if you were not."  
  
Seven replied, "I was injured but the wound was not severe, I will recover from it shortly."  
  
The woman eyed her oddly but did not say anything further about her wound though she could see the slice in the chain mail where the spear had been thrust through it. "We are headed to seek refuge with my cousin the Earl Eric Haroldson. It is but an hour's journey if you are able to walk it shield maiden, if you are hurt we can arrange a litter for you. I am certain my cousin will want to meet such a skilled warrior as yourself." The woman hesitated and then asked, "May we know your name shield maiden?"  
  
Seven looked at her considering and then said, "I am called Annika."  
  
I am "Altea," the woman introduced herself.  
  
Seven finished cleaning her Bat'leth and the group continued up the road with Seven and some of the other women keeping a close eye on the road behind them incase Hakan's men decided to attack again.  
  
By the time they arrived at the village Seven was satisfied that she was mostly healed, a slight soreness remained but the wound had closed over and she felt no pain when she breathed deeply. Seven looked in wonder around her at the people and buildings of the village. Though Seven stood taller than many of the women, most of the men were her height or taller. They had eyes of varying shades, but all were blond and pale skinned. The buildings were all sturdily constructed of thatched steeply pitched roofs and wood and stone walls. Seven noted the lack of doors, the door openings were covered with a wool blanket or fur skin.  
  
They were working their way toward a long low building that stood in the middle of the village, their progress frequently halted as people hailed them and excited conversations were carried on about attack on the other village by Chieftain Hakan and how the shield maiden with them had saved them. Finally they arrived at the hall and paused, and Altea who had been leading them stepped beside Seven and whispered, "Why do you not remove your helm shield maiden?"  
  
Seven looked at her curiously, "Should I have removed it earlier? I know your language but not your customs. I apologize if I have offended."  
  
Altea looked at her and said, "You speak our language perfectly, I thought you were from one of the villages further north. How can you not know it is the custom to remove your helm so that all can see your face?"  
  
Seven replied, "I know the language from my father but I have never been to these lands before now." Seven removed her helm and was not surprised at the woman's gasp of astonishment as the exoskeleton around her eye was revealed; she pushed back the chain and leather cowl from her head as well and shook loose her hair. Raising her ocular exoskeleton at Altea she waited to see what the woman would say.  
  
Altea quickly got over the shock of seeing what appeared to be silver jewelry embedded into the skin of the shield maiden and noticed her awkwardly juggling her helm and strange weapon. "May I take your helm?" Altea asked politely.  
  
Seven replied, "Thank you" and handed her the helm. Seven didn't know how to take the fact that the woman seemed to have accepted her exoskeleton so quickly. Perhaps she assumed it was some type of jewelry, Seven thought.  
  
Now that Annika had removed her helm the villagers stared at her curiously, several of them had heard the low voiced conversation and speculation started up about the stranger who spoke their language but did not know their customs. Altea lead the way into the hall and Seven looked around curiously. The walls of the building were rough smoothed boards covered with animal skins and decorative shields. Benches and tables were placed against the wall and a row of open hearths ran along the center of the building.  
  
Several people were seated inside the building, either talking in groups or working on various tasks. Altea lead her to the other end of the building where she smiled at a tall older man with white streaked hair and beard. "Altea!" roared the man and he embraced her, "I had thought the entire village lost, a rider from another village told us that Chieftain Hakan had everyone slain or taken into slavery."  
  
Altea freed herself and said, "Eric Haroldson this is Annika the shield maiden who defeated ten of Chieftain Hakan's men. If it were not for her we would have been captured."  
  
Eric turned toward the shield maiden and looked at her, she was tall and slender, and the strange ornament around her eye only added to her beauty. She returned his gaze calmly as if her feat was no deed of note to her. He took note also of the strange weapon she carried; it was a thing of beauty and the surface of the metal had the look of rippled water.  
  
Altea continued, "Though she knows our language from her father she is not from this area and is unfamiliar with our customs, Eric."  
  
Eric nodded, "We shall have to teach you our customs then. Tonight there will be a great feast for my warriors, I would like for you to join us Annika and tell us your tale. Tomorrow we go to fight Chieftain Hakan; he kills my people and takes my village. He will learn of the folly of angering me. Perhaps you would join us in the battle tomorrow shield maiden?"  
  
Seven tilted her head and considered, "I do not know how long I will be allowed to stay, if I am still here tomorrow I will join you." Seven was amazed at how detailed the dream was, she recognized the general time period. She appeared to be dreaming of ninth century Norway, which made these people Vikings. Though why she would be dreaming of Vikings she had no idea, perhaps this was more of Mulara's training.  
  
Eric looked at her curiously, "Who would cause you to leave?"  
  
Seven replied, "You would term her a goddess. I believe I am here to learn a lesson. When she feels the lesson is learned I believe she will return me to where I came from."  
  
Eric stepped back and said, "Are you a Valkyrie?" Suddenly fearful that seeing the woman meant his death tomorrow.  
  
"Valkyrie," said Seven searching her memory, "A handmaiden of Odin whose task was to bring worthy warriors slain on the battlefield to Valhalla the Viking afterlife. No I am not a Valkyrie." Seven remembered that the Vikings believed that seeing a Valkyrie meant that one would die the next time they were in battle and added, "You do not have to fear that seeing me is a warning that you will die tomorrow Eric Haroldson."  
  
"You sound as though you have an interesting tale to tell us shield maiden, I look forward to hearing it tonight. But you probably want to clean your armor and wash yourself before this evenings feast," said Eric turning and motioning to a younger woman behind him. "This is my daughter Jorunn; she will show you to your room and assist you."  
  
Altea added, "She should have her wound tended as well. She was pierced by a spear; you can see where her armor was broken by it."  
  
Eric looked at the woman in surprise, noting now the jagged tear in the chain mail underneath her breast. He looked at her again, the wound should have been disabling if not a mortal one, yet she stood relaxed with no sign of injury. Who was this woman who casually spoke of a goddess sending her here to learn some lesson?  
  
Seven smiled slightly at Altea, "I have already healed, though I thank you for your concern."  
  
Jorunn had come up to them and Seven looked at the younger woman, she was slightly shorter than she and had a delicate heart shaped face and emerald green eyes. As with all the Vikings Seven had met she had blond hair. Seven noted that Jorunn was staring rather intently at the exoskeleton around her eye, which made Seven slightly uncomfortable until the young woman noticed it and gave her a warm smile saying, "It is beautiful, I'm sorry I shouldn't stare."  
  
Seven nodded and then when Jorunn reached out for her hand allowed her to take it. Seven paused and asked Altea, "You will be at the feast as well?"  
  
Altea looked toward Eric who nodded, understanding that Annika wanted a familiar face present at the feast. "I will be happy to sit with you Annika," said Altea who then directed a warning look at Jorunn saying, "I will stop by later and see how you are doing as well."  
  
Jorunn just smirked at Altea and tugged on Seven's hand and Seven let her pull her out of the feast hall and into one of the smaller buildings nearby. Seven wondered at the interaction between the two women, they did not appear to be friends, and Altea appeared to have reservations about Seven being sent off with Jorunn. Yet Seven could detect no sign of hostility from Jorunn toward her at all. The young woman appeared to be fascinated by her exoskeleton and seemed to be very friendly. 


	4. I am Borg, Part 2, Chapter 4

**I am Borg – Part 2 - Chapter 4 **

**By Kudara  
**  
Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and all who sail in her belong to Paramount/Viacom and no infringement of copyright/trade marks is intended. Warning: Contains f/f references between women. Stardate: 52696  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: Seven dreams

* * *

The building Jorunn pulled Seven into appeared to be living quarters, a small cot was against one wall and there was a hearth at the end of the building. A gently steaming pot of water hung over the hearth. A short round barrel partially filled with water before the hearth had Seven resolving that any bathing occurring would be brief and quick.  
  
Jorunn turned to Seven, "Let me help you take off your armor shield maiden, and see if your wound is truly healed." Seven gave in to Jorunn's insistence and pulled her gloves off her hands and allowed Jorunn to unbind the chain sleeves from the coat. Jorunn paused when she was done, noticing for the first time that the strange metal around Seven's eye was also on her hands.  
  
Exclaiming Jorunn gently lifted Seven's left hand in her own and ran her fingers over the metallic strips. Seven was surprised at first, no one had touched her exoskeleton but the Doctor when he was examining her and then only briefly. Seven wasn't entirely sure she was comfortable with the situation but, seeing the rapt look on Jorunn's face, decided not to pull her hand back. Undoubtedly Naomi would be the same way, thought Seven.  
  
"Does it hurt?" asked Jorunn. Seeing the puzzled look on Seven's face Jorunn elaborated, "The metal in your skin, does it hurt you?"  
  
Seven replied, "No it does not hurt me, it is part of my body."  
  
Seven was wearing her set of blue Mularan clothing under the chain mail and Jorunn examined the wrapping around her wrist, calling it clever when she realized it was one piece instead of the banding it looked like. Jorunn paused after she figured out the wrist wrappings and said, "Lets get the chain mail off, if you bend over I will pull it over your head."  
  
Obediently Seven did as she had suggested and shortly the heavy chain mail was removed and carefully laid across a table. Jorunn turned and looked with concern at the slightly blood stained hole in Seven's blouse. "You were injured; please take off your tunic, your wound should be looked at if only to make sure it healed properly."  
  
Reluctantly Seven undid the other wrist wrap and waistband and pulled the top over her head, leaving her upper body covered only by her bra. Jorunn looked curiously at the garment and asked Seven what it was, upon hearing the answer she told Seven that they used strips of cloth to bind their breasts. Jorunn had been gently examining the red mark that was all that was left of the wound.  
  
"It does look well healed; I don't understand, this wound should have injured your lung. You should be seriously injured or even dead from it," said Jorunn.  
  
Seven replied, "I heal quickly, it is a...gift from the goddess I spoke of." Seven had been trying not to pay attention to the young woman's hands as she examined the wound. But when they started tracing the lines of the exoskeleton on her stomach Seven looked at Jorunn curiously.  
  
"You can feel that?" said Jorunn surprised.  
  
"Yes they are as sensitive as my skin," answered Seven. The feel of Jorunn's fingers trailing gently over the exoskeleton of her stomach was not at all unpleasant but it was making Seven slightly tense. Seven relaxed when Jorunn moved around to her back and examined the red mark where the exit wound had been.  
  
"These are beautiful," said Jorunn her breath ghosting over Sevens back where she was leaning close to her shoulder.  
  
An odd shiver at the sensation ran though Seven's body and she slowly became aware that the gentle trailing touch was definitely pleasant. Seven catalogued her body's responses, slightly increase breathing rate, increased body temperature, slight dilation of the eyes. She also detected the same changes in Jorunn. Suddenly Seven realized why they seemed so familiar, she had detected these changes in others but never in herself, she was becoming aroused by Jorunn's touch. And judging from what she could tell of Jorunn's physiological changes she was as well.  
  
What Seven was completely unsure of was what if anything did she wanted to do about the situation she found herself in. This was the empirical evidence she needed to decide whether she was attracted to women, it appeared that she was. Seven decided to simply let her dream take her where it would; perhaps this was what she was supposed to learn.  
  
Seven felt the press of soft breasts against her back just before Jorunn's touch shifted and she moved her hands upward along Seven's shoulder blades to her shoulders then down along her arms. Seven's strength training along with the additional bulk of the muscle fibers had changed the appearance of her upper body. She had looked thin and muscular before, the thin part of that description no longer applied. She did not look overly developed, but the strength in her upper body was apparent in the development of her shoulders and arms.  
  
"You are very strong shield maiden," said Jorunn next to Seven's ear. The feel of Jorunn lightly pressed up against her back and the warm breath upon her ear sent tingles of nerve reactions along Seven's spine. Bemusedly Seven suspected that this was what humans termed seduction. Deliberate actions designed to arouse another to persuade them to have...Seven considered the term that would be correct and decided upon sex since she did not know Jorunn well enough to have strong feelings for her.  
  
At that moment Altea called out from the other side of the door and Jorunn stepped away from her just before Altea entered the building. Seeing that Seven was standing half clothed Altea hastily closed the door covering behind her and gave Jorunn a suspicious look. Seven realized that Altea had suspected that Jorunn would be attracted to her and that was the reason for Altea's slight hostility.  
  
"Her wounds look nearly healed," said Jorunn, "only faint marks remain where the spear wounded her. Her tunic needs to be washed and mended; I will take care of it while Annika bathes and bring her one of mine to wear while it dries." Jorunn gathered up Seven's shirt as she said this and turning to her said, "I will be back in a few minutes with a shirt for you." Jorunn passed by Altea with barely a look as the exited the building.  
  
Altea politely looked away from Seven and said, "I had not realized your jewelry covered more than the area around your eye."  
  
"It is not jewelry, it is..." Seven considered what to call her exoskeleton, "part of my skeleton, it protects me from injury."  
  
Altea glanced at her surprised and exclaimed, "That's how you were able to block the spears and the sword at the end of the fight without being damaged. I thought the sword blow would surely have broken your arm but you were not wounded. It was only because the spear was thrust in between your armor that it damaged you."  
  
"That is correct," said Seven.  
  
Altea asked, "Are you protected inside as well, is that how you healed so quickly?"  
  
Seven nodded and they both glanced at the door as Jorunn entered with a white tunic and walked over and handed it to Seven along with some strips of absorbent cloth which she told her were for drying herself after her bath. The two of them left together, giving Seven some privacy for her bathing. Altea took Seven's Bat'leth promising that she would return it later after she had cleaned the leather hand guards and cleaned the blade with oil. Seven undressed and shook the dust and dirt from her pants and boots.  
  
A few passes of her hand over the worse of the stains and they were gone. She suspected no one knew that one aspect of the specialized fabric was its ability to interact with her exoskeleton for cleaning and mending. She could have cleaned and mended her blouse but it would not hurt it to be washed and mended by hand. Finally Seven poured the heated water into the barrel and quickly washed herself using the soft soap provided. Seven tested the composition of the soap before using it and decided that it was safe to use. Seven suspected that it was produced by boiling animal fat with potash.  
  
Seven decided to wash her undergarments as well since they were slightly sweaty; it was not difficult to dry them afterwards between using her exoskeleton to wick the moisture from them and the heat of the fire. Voices outside had her replying that she was not finished and Seven hurried to redress before letting the two women know they could enter the building.  
  
Jorunn had her tunic repaired though it was still damp from its washing, she also had a cleverly designed comb for Seven to use. Seven examined the comb curiously, each tooth was made separately from iron, and the top of each tooth was flattened into a disk. The disks were then slotted in between two iron plates that were then riveted securely together. Seven suspected the plates were lightly incised on the inside to prevent the disk from twisting.  
  
Seven realized the two women were grinning at her over her examination of the comb and blushed. "It is well made," Seven commented to them before using the comb to unsnarl her hair.  
  
Jorunn offered, "If you would like I can braid your hair and arrange it like ours."  
  
Seven nodded and sat down on one of the benches in the room, she had noted how most women's hair was braided into either one or two large braids which were then knotted once and left hanging down the back. Seven thought the style was elegant and simple.  
  
"One or two braids?" asked Jorunn holding out her hand for the comb.  
  
Seven handed it over to her and said, "One braid please."  
  
A cry of "Altea" was heard outside and Altea left the building seeking whoever had called her. Jorunn took the opportunity to step closer to Seven and her hands that had been business like became more gentle, her touch more caressing. Seven was amazed at how aware she was of the slight changes now that she had recognized what was occurring between them.  
  
Jorunn began braiding her hair, and Seven wondered whether the occasional light touches down the nape of her neck were intentional or not. Seven had not thought that the nape of her neck was so sensitive to touch; yet it seemed to have become extremely sensitive over the past few minutes. Each delicate touch of Jorunn's fingers increased the level of arousal Seven was experiencing. Seven was busy cataloguing each sensation with one part of her cortical node while the majority of her brain was simply enjoying the sensations as they occurred. She knew she could go over the information later and analyze it.  
  
Jorunn finally finished braiding and knotting Seven's hair and then in a move that only slightly surprised Seven, gently reached out and with a gentle pressure turned Seven's head toward her. Seven didn't fight the pressure nor did she draw back when Jorunn slowly brought her face nearer until their lips touched in Seven's first kiss.  
  
It was gentle and delicate, a light meeting of lips that became more firm as Jorunn delicately brushed and then applied a light pressure to Seven's lower lip and then her upper. Jorunn drew back and Seven looked at her wonderingly, her lips still tingling from the contact.  
  
Jorunn smiled and softly asked, "Have you never been kissed by a woman before? I trust I did not offend you, you did not draw away from my touches earlier."  
  
Seven said honestly, "I have never been kissed before. You have not offended me Jorunn."  
  
Jorunn looked at Seven astonished, "But, you are older than I how is it that..." she paused and then asked hesitantly, "This goddess who you follow, she requires that you be chaste?"  
  
Seven's mouth twitched in a slight smile, "I have not had the opportunity until recently to have such an interaction with anyone. And no, she does not require that I be chaste."  
  
"Did you find it pleasing?" asked Jorunn.  
  
Seven simply nodded, it had been much more pleasant than she had thought it would be from the descriptions she had read.  
  
Jorunn smiled at her, "Perhaps next time you will kiss me back then." Seven flushed slightly realizing that she should have been participating in the kiss instead of remaining motionless. "Don't be embarrassed Annika, I believe I did the same thing when I was kissed for the first time as well," said Jorunn as she gripped Seven's shoulder reassuringly and gave her an understanding smile.  
  
Seven smiled back at her, "I will endeavor to do better next time."  
  
"That's the first time I've seen you actually smile," commented Jorunn. "You look even more beautiful when you do Annika."  
  
Seven flushed and asked, "You think I'm beautiful?"  
  
"You are beautiful Annika," said Jorunn.  
  
Seven looked at Jorunn and said sincerely, "You are beautiful too Jorunn."  
  
Jorunn laughed and said, "Thank you. As much as I would like to continue spending time with you alone, we must go to the banquet. I believe your tunic is dry if you would like to wear it."  
  
Seven nodded and retrieved her blouse, noting that the mended hole had disappeared and the garment was undamaged. Jorunn noticed it as well and after Seven finished dressing she walked over and brushed her finger tips over the area she had mended, not so accidentally brushing the underside of Seven's breast as well.  
  
Seven stood rooted for a moment astonished at her reaction to the touch, Jorunn grinned at her with a smile that Seven tentatively identified as teasing. "Are you teasing me Jorunn?" asked Seven hesitantly.  
  
Jorunn sensed her uncertainty and said, "Yes, I'll stop if it's bothering you though. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."  
  
"It did not make me uncomfortable Jorunn, I was just trying to identify your behavior," explained Seven.  
  
"You haven't been teased before Seven? Verbally I mean. I guess no one has touched you teasingly before," said Jorunn.  
  
"No, no one has touched me like this before. People have told me they were teasing or joking with me before but it was generally not a pleasant experience," said Seven.  
  
Jorunn's face tightened for a moment in anger, "If you didn't find it pleasant then they lied to you, they were not teasing you they were taunting you. They just said they were teasing. That's the difference between teasing and taunting, with teasing both people find it pleasant and amusing, and with taunting only one person does."  
  
Seven considered this and replied, "An efficient distinction between the two. I have only been teased by a few people then."  
  
Jorunn drifted closer to her and asked in a low voice, "Well I would like to tease you some tonight, let me know if it changes from teasing to taunting and I'll stop."  
  
Seven was wary of what Jorunn might consider teasing at this point and was thinking of how to reply when Jorunn chuckled and said, "Your face, I don't think you trust me Annika. I promise, I will do my best not to embarrass you, I will be discrete. How's that, now will you let me tease you?"  
  
Seven definitely could identify Jorunn's grin as teasing now and she couldn't help but reply with her own smile. "You will stop if I ask?"  
  
"I promise," said Jorunn with a solemn look.  
  
Seven was uncertain as to why Jorunn wanted to tease her; finally she asked "Why do you want to do this?"  
  
Jorunn looked at her seriously and realizing that Annika honestly had no idea why considered how to answer her, "I hope your tale explains how you are so innocent Annika. I want to tease you because I know what I'm doing to you when I touch you. I know how it feels and that pleases me, to know that you are reacting to my touch."  
  
Seven wondered about the wisdom of what she was about to do but, remembering this was a dream, she nodded her permission.  
  
Before they exited the building for the feast hall Jorunn reached up and pulled Seven down for another brief kiss. This time Seven kept her wits about her better and managed to return the pressure of her lips. Seven gasped softly as Jorunn suddenly nipped her bottom lip lightly before ending the kiss. The sensation caused by Jorunn's action seemed to jump directly from Seven's lip to her groin.  
  
Jorunn didn't give Seven time to further analyze what had happened, she grinned up at Seven knowingly and pulled her by the hand outside the door. "Much better," said Jorunn over her shoulder as they walked into the feast hall.  
  
Seven replied softly, "I adapt quickly."  
  
An amused snort was her only reply before Eric rose upon seeing them enter and boomed out "Shield maiden, here come and take your seat, everyone this is the brave warrior who defended my cousin Altea and the other women and children from ten of Hakan's warriors who pursued them."  
  
Eric sat at a table raised upon a platform instead of on the earth, the seat Jorunn lead Seven toward was at one of the tables nearest the Earl's table. Altea was already seated and Seven took the spot beside her looking curiously at Jorunn who whispered, "I will be serving you." Seven noticed one of the shields had been removed and her Bat'leth had been placed behind her seat. Seven observed several of the warriors looking at it curiously.  
  
In a short while Jorunn returned with a water filled basin and towels, she brought them to Seven and instructed her to wash her hands as was the custom before every meal. After all of the people seated had cleaned their hands the food was brought from the hearths in the middle of the building. Seven watched as Jorunn took small servings of various meats that were roasting as well as ladling stewed vegetables into a rectangular wooden dish that her memory eventually identified as a trencher. A piece of a flat bread from the flat pan where it was cooked was added last and Jorunn brought over the trencher and advised Seven to eat the bread before it hardened.  
  
Seven watched as those around her started eating and picking up the sharp knife and spoon provided she began to follow suit. Seven could identify only some of the foods she was eating, such as fish, but she had no idea of what type. There were three types of red meat and Seven finally asked Altea in a low voice what the meats were. Altea smiled and explained that the fish was sea-trout; the meats were beef, pork and red deer. The vegetables Seven could identify as a mix of cabbage and onion with some herbs. The bread was coarse ground but good and made from oat and barley. Seven was cautious about drinking too much of the mead that Jorunn had served her in a silver cup.  
  
Jorunn was very attentive, she would frequently pause in her rounds to stop and in a low voice inquire whether or not Seven needed anything. Seven was aware that Jorunn was always careful to make sure that she touched her when she came by, either on Seven's back or arm. Seven was suddenly aware of exactly what double-entendre meant the second time Jorunn's voice purred huskily in her ear, "Would you like anything more Annika," and her hand trailed along her back to her thigh. Suddenly her mind was wondering exactly what other things Jorunn might have in mind and she almost choked on the mouthful of mead she was drinking. With a satisfied chuckle Jorunn left her coughing to clear her throat and finally moved away and went to another one of the guests.  
  
Altea whispered to Seven, "You don't have to let her do that to you, just tell her no. I tried to tell her to leave you alone but she refused."  
  
Seven looked over at Altea and considered what to say; finally she whispered back, "Thank you, she has already informed me that she will stop if I tell her too."  
  
Altea gave her a wide eyed look and then shook her head, "I hope you know what you're getting into Annika," she whispered back.  
  
Seven smirked slightly, "No I do not, but it has been instructional so far."  
  
At that Altea choked over her mead and gave Seven an incredulous look, then grinned at her and shook her head. "No doubt," she finally whispered back.  
  
Finally Eric stood and called for Annika to tell her tale. Seven looked at him uncertainly and he smiled and said, "You are new to tale telling shield maiden. Tell us how you came to be a warrior, instead of a maiden."  
  
Seven looked at him uncertainly, "I had no choice in what I became, I was taken at the age of six by the Borg."  
  
Eric looked at her and asked, "Borg? I have never heard of these people. They took you as a slave? Where were your people, your family?"  
  
Seven replied "The Borg live very far away from this area, it will be thousands of years before they are a threat to you. My mother and father were exobiologists they went to study the Borg and took me with them. Eventually the Borg noticed our ship and captured us. My mother and father were assimilated immediately, but I was not. We traveled to where the Queen was located; Unimatrix One, and my mother and father lead me into her chamber. I remember being afraid, my mother and father were there but they were now drones and they did not speak to me except to tell me to come with them. The Queen walked around me and told me I was very intelligent; intelligent enough to be brought to her for assimilation. She was impressed that I was not afraid of her. Then she assimilated me and I was put into one of the maturation tanks where I stayed until I was fully grown. I was eighteen when I was released from the maturation tank and given the designation Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct to Unimatrix One."  
  
The entire hall was looking at her uncertainly trying to figure out what she had told them. Eric asked, "Your parents were spying on these Borg?"  
  
Seven considered the question and replied, "They were watching and studying the Borg without the Borg being aware of them."  
  
One of the men spoke up, "They took their child with them on a spying mission?" Seven could hear the disbelief in his voice.  
  
Eric interrupted, "What is this assimilation you speak of?"  
  
"You are joined to the hive mind, your thoughts become one with the hive mind, your will becomes one with the hive mind. The Queen orders the hive mind, she controls the hives thoughts and actions," explained Seven.  
  
Eric paled, "What foul sorcery do you speak of, she enslaves the body and mind to her will?"  
  
Seven considered attempting explaining the process of assimilation, then she nodded, "When you are assimilated you are not aware of yourself as an individual, only as part of the hive mind. You have no thoughts of your own; no will of your own."  
  
Eric looked at her with pity and said, "So your parents when they lead you to her were not aware you were their child?"  
  
Seven looked away for a moment and then nodded to him.  
  
One of the men farther down the table from her asked, "This maturation chamber you stayed in it for twelve years? How were you kept alive, more sorcery? Were you aware during the time?"  
  
Seven looked over at him and replied, "I was in the chamber for twelve years, I was not aware of the passage of time, I was supplied with nutrients by the chamber and waste was taken away by the chamber."  
  
"Sorcery," the man replied and Seven resisted the urge to correct him. She knew there was no way to explain to him how a maturation chamber worked.  
  
"What happened once you came out of this chamber?" asked Altea.  
  
Seven hesitated and then answered, "I did what the Queen wished, I interpreted various types of data that had been collected, and I participated in the assimilation of several different species."  
  
Eric asked, "You remember what you did even though you were enslaved?"  
  
"I remember every action; I remember the look on their faces as I assimilated them as a drone. I remember killing those that were found unfit for assimilation. I remember that I had no emotion as I did these things, no remorse, no anger, just the will of the Collective that they were to be added to us to increase our perfection." said Seven.  
  
Seven was staring in front of her as she said this, her voice a monotone. Jorunn walked over behind her and rubbed her arms, whispering to her, "You're free now Annika, you're not a slave of these Borg anymore." Seven started and then relaxed somewhat and gripped her hand briefly in thanks.  
  
Eric looked at the young woman with pity; it had been disconcerting to see how she had slipped into an expressionless unemotional way of speaking when she talked about her time as a slave. It was obvious that it still affected her greatly and he had to admit if he could remember doing such things and having no control over his actions he would be strongly affected as well. "Yet you are free of them, how were you freed?"  
  
Seven's face relaxed and she smiled slightly, "Not willingly, I was assigned as liaison to a ship called Voyager. The Captain of the vessel knew of a way to defeat an enemy of the Borg and in exchange for her assistance the Borg promised her passage across Borg territory."  
  
Eric asked, "She wasn't afraid of being enslaved by the Borg?"  
  
"She was but Voyager had been transported by a powerful being far from their home. Captain Janeway knew that it would take Voyager seventy years to return; if they could cross Borg territory it would cut several years off their journey. She felt the gain was worth the risk." explained Seven. "The Borg ship I was on was destroyed protecting Voyager so the weapon would not be destroyed. Four drones including me, Captain Janeway and Lt. Commander Tuvok were able to transfer to Voyager before the ship was completely destroyed."  
  
Seven paused and then continued, "Captain Janeway was injured when the Borg ship was destroyed and we were forced to interact with her First Officer. He proved unwilling to honor the agreement and we were ordered to force Voyager into a confrontation with our enemy. He managed to destroy the other three drones but I succeeded in forcing Voyager into the confrontation and our enemy was defeated with the help of the weapon they developed."  
  
"Captain Janeway resumed command and when the battle ended I was ordered to assimilate Voyager. However, Captain Janeway had anticipated my action and she successfully stopped my attempt and in doing so broke my link with the Borg," said Seven.  
  
The hall had been silent listening to the tale; Eric broke into the noise and asked, "She broke the sorcery that enslaved you?"  
  
Seven nodded, "She did, though I was not pleased about it for a long time. I demanded to be taken back to the Borg to rejoin them. I only had my memories as a child of being an individual. It was uncomfortable, lonely; I missed the constant presence in my mind of the billions of voices of the Borg."  
  
An older man with white hair and a long beard asked, "You could hear their voices in your mind all the time?"  
  
Seven nodded, "Yes I was never alone, when I became an individual I could not stand the silence at first, the separateness. I did not understand the people around me, they were irrational, inefficient, each with their own agenda each acting apart from the others. I did not fit in. Captain Janeway tried to help me as best she could, but it took me along time to begin to appreciate being an individual."  
  
Eric asked, "When were you freed from your slavery."  
  
Seven answered "Twenty one months ago."  
  
Eric asked, "What has happened to you during that time, how did you come to be here?"  
  
Seven continued speaking telling them of her experiences, her arguments with the Captain, her growing respect for the woman who had taken her in and tried to help her become an individual again. She spoke of how she finally came to cherish her individuality, yet she still continued to be separate from the other members of Voyager though she had risked her life for them several times. They could not see beyond her Borg mannerisms and she was unwilling to admit to how much their behavior hurt her preferring to hide behind her emotionless Borg mask.  
  
Seven paused and drank some of the mead and continued explaining how the Queen had threatened Voyager and forced her into joining her again. While she was speaking Jorunn came and sat down beside her occasionally stroking her back and arm. Seven was aware of the quiet reassuring presence of Altea as well and between the two of them she felt surprisingly comfortable talking about her experiences.  
  
"The Queen surprised me; she did not wish to assimilate me but allowed me to keep my individuality. She linked my thoughts only with hers and while I was regenerating looked through my memories of what had occurred since I had been severed from the Collective. When I awoke she told me that I had been allowed to be taken by Voyager, that she had planned for me to become an individual so that she could understand what it was to be human. I stayed aboard her vessel for several days before she ordered me to develop a weapon that would allow her to enslave Voyager and the people they were from. I refused; she told me I was allowing my emotions to cloud my mind. She told me to forget Voyager they were not my family, the Borg were my family. Then the Queen brought forth a drone that I recognized, it was my father." Seven paused and looked around at the faces of the people they were quiet.  
  
"It did not have the effect she wished, I called him Papa but he did not recognize me. He was emotionless, a drone, a Borg. Then I heard Captain Janeway's voice telling me to hold on and I knew she was coming to rescue me. Unfortunately the Queen detected it as well and began to search for them. Eventually she found their ship and I believed they would be assimilated, I attempted to attack the Queen but she was too strong. It was then that Captain Janeway entered the Queens Chamber and told her to call off her attack on the shuttle, a small ship, and release me or she would destroy her," said Seven.  
  
Eric stirred and asked, "How many warriors did she bring with her to rescue you? How many made it through her lands with her to confront the Queen?"  
  
Seven smiled and replied, "She brought four members of the crew beside herself, and she confronted the Queen alone. Lt. Commander Tuvok was with her but she sent him to sabotage the...magic the Queen was using to protect herself."  
  
The hall stirred at hearing this and several voices were heard discussing Captain Janeway's bravery in confronting so dangerous a foe alone. Seven continued, "She threatened to use...powerful destructive magical weapons to destroy the Queen's chamber. The Queen did not believe that she would kill herself and began to attack but Captain Janeway ordered the shuttle to prepare to use the weapon and the Queen stopped the attack."  
  
Eric broke in, "She was willing to kill you and herself if she could not free you?"  
  
Seven nodded, "I was not afraid to die; the alternative was to become a drone again. To loose my individuality and be forced to assimilate Voyager. Captain Janeway was also willing to die rather than become a drone."  
  
Eric smiled and said, "And willing to risk death to save you from such a fate as well, she must have planned that when she took so small a rescue party. She would either succeed or they would all die. A bold and daring plan, she must be a brave woman. What would be her name in our tongue, Captain seems to be a title?"  
  
Seven straightened and nodded, "Captain is her title, and her name would be Kathryn Edwardsdottir by your custom."  
  
Seven continued her story, "The Queen freed our vessel and Lt. Commander Tuvok succeeded in his mission. But before we could escape the Queen managed to bring back her...spells. I informed Captain Janeway where to attack to destroy the Queens ability to control the Collective and once that was done she could not control her drones and we were able to escape. It did not take her long to repair the damage enough to order her ship to give chase. The damage was extensive enough to prevent her from communicating with the other Borg ships so only her ship gave pursuit. We were able to make to where Voyager was waiting and they were able to destroy the Queens ship."  
  
The hall gave a great cheer but Seven was aware of Altea frowning beside her, when the noise died down she asked, "Was your father still on the Queen's ship?"  
  
Seven nodded, and the hall grew quiet again as this sunk in. Eric asked, "Shield maiden you seem to never have any blessings that do not come with a great sorrow." He paused and asked, "When did the events you just spoke of happen?"  
  
Seven replied "Five weeks ago."  
  
Eric said, "Then tell us of what has happened since then and how you came to be here to protect my cousin."  
  
Seven told them about the last month, of how she had been captured by Muahe. When she spoke of her death the hall was eerily quiet, and Jorunn put one arm about her waist and her other hand crossed over and gripped one of Seven's. She told how she had been reborn by the power of a goddess. How her Borg implants had been replace by ones made by the same goddess. How she had begun training to be a warrior. Finally she told them that she had fallen asleep on Voyager and had woken to find herself standing on the hill watching the group of women approach.  
  
"I could not do anything but defend them once I heard the plans Hakan's men had for the women and children. They were going to kill the infants. I was made to enslave others once...but I will not stand by and allow that to happen now that I am an individual," finished Seven.  
  
The hall was silent for a moment as everyone looked at her resolute face, many of them still trying to comprehend what it would be like to be made to do such things, to exist without any will of your own.  
  
Finally the old man asked, "But why didn't the Queen simply put you under her spell again and make you do what she wanted? Seems as though it would have been easier than trying to persuade you."  
  
Another voice spoke up, this time it was from a downy cheeked youth, "Perhaps she wanted Annika to become like she was, maybe she was lonely, maybe she wanted a Heir."  
  
Seven started violently, staring at the youth, everyone noticed her sudden movement and the frightened stare she directed at the young man. They had seen many expressions flitting across the woman's face tonight but this was the first they had seen her look frightened.  
  
Eric gently questioned, "Annika, you think he is correct don't you? Why?"  
  
Seven tore her gaze away and took a deep breath and then answered, "There is always a drone that is designated to become the next Queen in case something happens to the present Queen. That drone is always a female, always assimilated by a Queen, assimilated while young so that the Borg implants are fused with their structure while they grow, they are intelligent and must be able to operate as an individual."  
  
Jorunn said, "So you were going to be her Heir, but she didn't persuade you Annika and she died."  
  
Seven said, "The new Queen will have the memories and personality of the old, the drone that was chosen will have their memories overlaid with the personality and will of the old Queen. That is the way that the Borg ensures that the new Queen does not change the nature of the Collective. She will still seek me out if I am one of the designated drones."  
  
Jorunn shook her and said, "You are not a drone now Annika, your Captain Janeway will protect you, she has before why don't you trust her to again."  
  
Eric spoke up, "So even the Queen is not really free, each new Queen is enslaved by the old, does she think to live forever by transferring her spirit to a new body?"  
  
Seven stared at Eric pondering his words, they were superstitious but in a manner he was correct the first Queen in a sense had lived on in each of the succeeding Queens. "I do not know, I only know that I do not want that fate," said Seven.  
  
Eric nodded and said, "It is a horrible fate to have hanging over you head, yet you have a goddess who has made you one of her own. Surely she will not allow this to happen?"  
  
Seven said thoughtfully, "Perhaps she will help me; I believe I am here to hear what I heard. To realize that I was one of the drones designated to be a possible Queen."  
  
Eric said thoughtfully, "You cannot fight a battle if you do not know what the enemy desires. Now you know what she desires, maybe that will suggest a strategy to you shield maiden."  
  
Seven nodded, and Eric said kindly. "You look tired shield maiden; if you wish Jorunn and Altea will show you to your quarters. If you are still here on the morrow, will you join us for the battle?"  
  
Seven replied, "If I am still here I will join you to fight Hakan." 


	5. I am Borg, Part 2, Chapter 5

**I am Borg – Part 2 - Chapter 5 **

**By Kudara  
**  
Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and all who sail in her belong to Paramount/Viacom and no infringement of copyright/trade marks is intended.  
  
Warning: Contains f/f references between women.  
  
Stardate: 52696  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: Seven dreams. Seven wakes on Voyager, why are Janeway, Torres and Tuvok outside her room?

* * *

Seven followed Altea and Jorunn out of the feast hall and back into the building she had bathed in earlier. Though it was late, it was still light outside, as the sun did not set till almost midnight during the summer. Thus the building was still dimly illuminated as they entered it.  
  
Altea looked at the two of them and directed a stern look at Jorunn who quickly replied, "I won't, not after hearing her tale. I promise I won't take advantage of Annika, Altea. I suspect she wouldn't mind me holding her tonight though." The last was said with a questioning look at Seven.  
  
Seven looked at the two concerned women then into Jorunn's eyes and saw gentleness and sympathy there. "I would like company tonight, Jorunn."  
  
Altea came over and hugged Seven and then kissed her briefly on the cheek saying, "If I do not see you tomorrow, I hope everything turns out well for you Annika. You are a strong woman; you will find a way to defeat the Queen. I hope the people of your ship realize what treasure they have in you." With that she turned and left, leaving a bemused Seven.  
  
Jorunn came over and wrapped her arms around Seven's waist and leaned her head against Seven's chest, tentatively Seven put her arms around Jorunn's waist as well and when Jorunn stepped closer and wrapped her arms tighter, Seven followed suit until they were pressed against each other. Seven closed her eyes for a moment and just absorbed the sensation; she had never been so physically close to another person before.  
  
Jorunn felt very nice in her arms, Seven took a moment to analyze the two times she had been physically close to men and realized how different the two situations felt. She had also never been as aware of her body with a male, Seven tried to analyze what she was feeling. She was very aware of Jorunn's body pressed against hers, of her breasts pressed softly against her, of where her stomach, her thighs, her arms and hands rested against her. She had never been aware in this manner of Ensign Chapman or of the Doctor. They had simply been physical bodies that she was in close proximity too.  
  
Finally Jorunn stirred and said, "We should go to sleep Annika."  
  
Seven nodded and looked at the narrow cot in the dim room, wondering how the two of them would fit comfortably on it. Jorunn grinned at her and said, "Lie down and I will arrange myself around you Annika. It will be more comfortable than you think."  
  
Seven pulled the fur and woolen blankets down and slipped into the bed lying on her back and then waited. Jorunn slipped into bed beside her and laid her head against Seven's chest, laying on one of Seven's arms as she did so and pulling the covers up against the cold night air.  
  
Seven knew something of sleeping like this, she could faintly remember running into her parent's room on the ship and seeing her mother resting on her father like this. Seven turned slightly and using the arm beneath Jorunn pulled her closer and wrapped her arm around her shoulder.  
  
Jorunn chuckled, her breath warming the hollow of Seven's throat, "You do adapt quickly don't you."  
  
"I remember seeing my parent's like this," admitted Seven. "Now I understand why they liked to hold each other in this manner."  
  
Jorunn gripped her tighter and Seven could feel her nod against her chest. Seven asked quietly, "I would like to kiss you again Jorunn."  
  
Jorunn groaned and said, "Annika I promised Altea..."  
  
Seven said, "I did not agree to anything," somewhat petulantly.  
  
Jorunn laughed, "You are not making this easy on me are you, very well but we stop when I ask Annika."  
  
Seven smiled and said, "I believe the correct expression to say at this moment would be 'turn about is fair play'."  
  
Jorunn pondered the unfamiliar saying and then chuckled, as she understood the meaning, "Very well then, I guess it is your turn to tease me."  
  
With that she lifted herself up and raised her head and looked into Seven's face waiting. Seven paused a moment and brought her free hand up to touch her face, memorizing it. Then she slid her hand around the back of Jorunn's head and gently pulled her face toward her.  
  
They kissed for several minutes; Seven learning many new things about what one could do with lips, and teeth. Finally they pulled back from one another both of them breathing slightly more heavily and Jorunn looked at Seven seriously for a moment then said, "I know I'm going to regret this but there is one more thing you might want to learn about kissing Annika. But we will have to stop soon or I will not be able to sleep tonight."  
  
With that she brought her lips to Seven's again but this time she paused and with her tongue delicately traced the line of Seven's lips before pressing her lips against Seven's. Seven had stilled at the first touch, amazed at the sensations that it triggered. Her breathing and heart rate increased rapidly as did her body temperature and eye dilation.  
  
All these increased yet again as Seven felt Jorunn's tongue press against her lips seeking entry into her mouth, reflexively Seven relaxed her lips and let Jorunn do as she wished. Seven was surprised at the rush of arousal the feel of Jorunn exploring her mouth with her tongue produced, now she understood why Jorunn had said they would have to stop afterward, as it was Seven wasn't sure she would be able to fall asleep the way her body was reacting.  
  
Jorunn pulled back and looked at Seven, "You are so beautiful Annika."  
  
Seven pulled her back into another kiss, and practiced the technique Jorunn had just demonstrated to her. A groan from Jorunn rewarded her when she stopped and she could feel Jorunn's heart pounding against her. Both of them were breathing heavily and Jorunn lowered her head to Seven's chest again. Seven tightened her arms around her and they both concentrated on relaxing again.  
  
"Annika, I...I hope you find joy without sorrow. I want you to find happiness, you deserve it." said Jorunn.  
  
Seven knew that Jorunn did not expect her to be there in the morning, this then was goodbye. "I want you to be happy as well. I will always remember you Jorunn, and everyone I have met. I will always be able to think of you and see you and remember everything."  
  
"Everything?" asked Jorunn.  
  
"As if it had just occurred," confirmed Seven.  
  
"Describe to me when you first saw me," asked Jorunn.  
  
Seven began to describe in painful detail the scene when she had first saw Jorunn and after a few minuets of it, Jorunn laughed and pleaded with her to stop. "I believe you, you see everything in your memory perfectly don't you? I have heard of one other person with a memory like yours, they could recite everything they had ever seen or heard.  
  
Seven nodded and could feel Jorunn smile against her chest and they fell silent. In a moment Jorunn asked, "What do you feel for Kathryn Edwardsdottir?"  
  
Seven wondered at the question, "She is as a mother to me."  
  
"Ah, you sound as though you admire her greatly," said Jorunn.  
  
"I do," said Seven.  
  
"What was your father's name?" asked Jorunn.  
  
"Magnus," answered Seven.  
  
"So you would be Annika Magnusdottir," said Jorunn.  
  
Seven shrugged, "I do not use my father's name."  
  
Jorunn smiled against her and said, "Perhaps Annika Kathrynsdottir would suit you better?"  
  
Seven thought and replied, "I would like that."  
  
They stopped talking after that and their breathing slowed and evened as both of them slipped finally into sleep.

* * *

B'Elanna rolled over and glanced at the time, why was engineering calling her at 0400 hours? She found her communicator and tapped it answering, "Torres to Engineering this had better be good." The Ensign on the other end stammered out something about spatial and temporal distortion readings coming from inside the ship. B'Elanna woke up quickly at that point and asked if they had pinpointed the readings. The Ensign answered that he had not been able to contact Seven and Crewman Celes was on her way to Astrometics.  
  
B'Elanna frowned, "Computer locate Seven."  
  
"Seven of Nine is not in her quarters," responded the computer.  
  
"Torres to Seven," B'Elanna opened a communications channel. Silence followed.  
  
"Computer scan quarters of Seven of Nine for bio-signature," B'Elanna said.  
  
"Bio-signature not present," reported the Computer.  
  
B'Elanna was putting on her uniform at this point and paused to say, "Computer scan Voyager for Seven of Nine's bio-signature."  
  
B'Elanna finished dressing and ran a quick brush though her hair and was headed out the door when the computer reported, "Seven of Nine Bio- signature not found on Voyager."  
  
B'Elanna paused and tapped her combadge, "Torres to Celes."  
  
"Celes here," came the response. "Is that distortion on Deck 9 Section 11?" asked B'Elanna.  
  
"How did you know Lt. Torres? I just managed to narrow it to Deck 9," she responded.  
  
"Seven's not in her quarters nor is she on Voyager, I suspect that this distortion is the cause," responded B'Elanna, and then closed the channel.  
  
"Torres to Janeway," B'Elanna grimaced over waking the Captain but knew she would want to know what was happening.  
  
The groggy reply came, "Janeway here."  
  
"Captain, Engineering detected a slight special and temporal distortion and contacted me about it earlier. Crewman Celes has narrowed the source to Deck 9. I had the computer search for Seven since Engineering could not find her and she's not on Voyager. I suspect the distortion is the cause," explained B'Elanna.  
  
She was standing outside of Seven's quarters and waited for the Captain to respond, "Go to Seven's quarters and wait there, Tuvok and I will be there in a moment."  
  
"Will do Captain, I'll see what readings I can get from outside her quarters," answered B'Elanna.  
  
B'Elanna had been taking readings and had noticed the distortions fading until they seemed to disappear. On a hunch she asked, "Computer scan quarters of Seven of Nine for her bio-signature."  
  
"Seven of Nine is located in her quarters," came the reply.  
  
B'Elanna grimaced, "Mulara," she muttered.  
  
Tuvok came up followed by Janeway and Torres reported, "The distortions have faded and I had the computer scan for Seven again. She's back in her quarters. I strongly suspect Mulara had something to do with the distortion and Seven's disappearance."  
  
Tuvok raised his eyebrow at this statement. Janeway looked at her appraisingly and said, "It wouldn't surprise me, I didn't really expect her to just leave Seven alone after what happened. Let's see if Seven knows the reason for the distortions."  
  
Janeway rang the admittance chime to Seven's quarters and a few moments later Seven opened the doorway looking at them with an indecipherable look. She said, "Captain I appear to have been out of my quarters."  
  
B'Elanna noticed that Seven was wearing her Mularan clothes, her hair was done up in a braid that was wound into a knot at the neck. It was an unusual hairstyle, but it looked good on her. Sniffing curiously she detected an odd fatty soapy odor drifting faintly from Seven, as well as the smell of blood? B'Elanna knew it was not Seven's, it didn't smell right, but where was it from?  
  
Seven looked at her and said, "I am sorry for the odor, the last time I bathed I used a soap made from animal fat and potash. I will use my shower as soon as possible."  
  
"Its not that, it's the blood I smell. It's not yours..." said B'Elanna.  
  
Seven looked down and lifted up a booted foot and examined the bottom, and indicated the tread. "I believe my boots are the source Lt. Torres, I stepped in some blood earlier."  
  
Janeway looked at Seven oddly but didn't comment on the statement instead she said, "Engineering detected a spatial and temporal distortion coming from your quarters. Where were you Seven?"  
  
Seven moved from the doorway and invited them in saying it might be better if they sat down while she explained and would they mind if she took a quick shower and changed clothes before she spoke to them? Janeway nodded her permission and they waited on Seven's couch while she took a quick shower. When she emerged from the bathroom she was dressed in her Starfleet uniform and was busy combing out her hair.  
  
Seven sat down and began braiding her hair saying, "I thought I was experiencing one of Mulara's dreams, until I woke up and determined that physical evidence suggested that I had actually been to ninth century Norway."  
  
"What type of physical evidence?" asked B'Elanna.  
  
"Blood on my boots and pants which I had not cleaned off earlier, the residue of the specific soap I used, and my hair was as it had been braided and arranged for me. All of these along with your statement indicate that I was not dreaming but was actually physically there," responded Seven.  
  
Seven related her experiences in what she identified as mid ninth century Norway, starting with her appearance on the hillside. She told of how she had decided to help the group of women and children, and of her battle with the raiders. Seven paused for a moment and then told them somewhat abashedly of how she had gotten wounded during the fight by one of the raiders.  
  
At that point Janeway insisted that the Doctor come to Seven's quarters and make sure she was as fully healed as Seven thought she was.  
  
Seven took the opportunity to comment to B'Elanna in a quiet aside that the blood she had smelled was likely from the raiders as the ground had become covered with it during the fight. B'Elanna glanced over at Janeway who thankfully hadn't heard the comment and caught sight of Tuvok's raised eyebrows.  
  
B'Elanna was surprised at Seven's matter of fact acceptance of her killing. But then B'Elanna remembered the cold, angry look on Seven's face as she told Janeway that the raiders had planned to rape the women and kill the younger children and realized Seven had no regrets about the raiders deaths. B'Elanna thought frankly that she would probably not have felt any guilt about killing animals like them either.  
  
B'Elanna glanced from Seven's Bat'leth to Seven wonderingly, she had never seen Seven sparring with the weapon, only doing her katas. Obviously Seven was more practiced than she thought since she had managed to take on ten experienced warriors and win. B'Elanna resolved to get Seven to describe the fight in detail later, she wanted to know exactly what moves Seven had used.  
  
Seven continued her story as the Doctor transported over and upon being filled in about the nature of the injury, began scanning her. He commented on the amount of natural meat and alcohol she had consumed and with a comment about the wisdom of eating them, checked her for parasites as well. "Well if you had any your nanoprobes have already taken care of them as well as healing your injury," the Doctor concluded, "What did you eat anyway?"  
  
Seven quirked her lips and replied, "Sea-trout, beef, pork, and red deer along with cabbage and onions and bread made from oats and barley. The dinner was more pleasant tasting than I had thought it would be."  
  
"And the beverage?" he asked.  
  
"Mead," Seven replied, "It was rather sweet. I did not get drunk from it Doctor."  
  
"No you wouldn't get drunk, you might have been slightly affected by the alcohol though," the Doctor replied.  
  
Seven looked thoughtful but did not argue further with him. Janeway inquired if he was finished and when he nodded she asked him to return to Sickbay. He grumbled but obeyed. After he departed Seven continued her story. She told them about the village, meeting Eric Haroldson, and the feast she had attended later that evening. Janeway paled when she related that she had told them about her past with the Borg and about Voyager and the events she had experienced.  
  
"I'm sorry Captain, I thought I was dreaming. Dreams sent by Mulara are very vivid and difficult to tell apart from reality until you wake. I did not realize I was breaking the Temporal Prime Directive," apologized Seven. "I do not believe though that Mulara would have sent me there if it negatively impacted the timeline. Perhaps the information was quickly forgotten or the tale changed beyond recognition."  
  
Janeway looked at Seven intently, "You may be right, they would not have been able to understand most of what you were talking about. Do you know why Mulara sent you to that time?"  
  
Seven nodded and was silent.  
  
Janeway said gently, "Do you want to tell us or should I talk to you alone?"  
  
Seven sighed and said, "You would have to tell the senior staff what I learned anyway for the safety of the ship. The Borg Queen will not give up trying to reclaim me. I was sent to hear a statement made after I had told my tale. One of the men at the feast commented that the Queen wanted me to be like her, that she wished me to be her 'Heir' as he put it. The word is inaccurate, the idea however is not. I realized when he made the statement that he was in essence correct, I meet all the requirements to be one of the drones designated to take over the position of Queen if needed."  
  
Seven watched as they stared first at her and then at each other after she had made the last statement. Tuvok spoke up then and asked, "What are these requirements?"  
  
"That the drone be female and of sufficient intelligence, they must be assimilated by the Queen while immature and thus requiring time in a maturation chamber, and be capable of acting as an individual," said Seven.  
  
Janeway said, "But you were not captured by the Queen were you? Where your parents were captured was along way away from the center of Borg space."  
  
"Correct, Captain, my parents were assimilated when we were captured, I was not however. I remained unassimilated until we reached Unimatrix One and the Queen assimilated me," replied Seven.  
  
Janeway said, "Why have you never told me of this?" in a slightly hurt tone.  
  
"I did not remember it until I remembered everything after I died. Even then it was not clear to me until tonight, all of those memories are from before I was a drone, they are not like the memories that are stored in my cortical node," explained Seven.  
  
Janeway nodded understanding and asked, "What do you remember from when your parents were captured?"  
  
Seven though back and tried to remember, hesitantly she began. "I remember the drones materializing on the ship, they overpowered my father first and assimilated him, my mother was assimilated next as she stood in front of me."  
  
B'Elanna noticed how Seven's body posture had changed, she was slightly hunched and her arms were crossed protectively over her chest. The Captain was trying to catch her eye but Seven was staring fixedly at the floor as she spoke, not seeing her concern. B'Elanna could tell the Captain was torn between maintaining her professional distance in front of them and comforting Seven whom, B'Elanna knew, she thought of as her daughter.  
  
B'Elanna got up from where she had been sitting and went to sit beside Seven where she tentatively rested a hand on Seven's back. Seven paused and looked over at her in slight surprise. B'Elanna was prepared for Seven to reject her touch as she had never touched her in a friendly way in the past. B'Elanna was a bit ashamed to remember that the only time she had ever touched Seven was to push or pull her out of her way in Engineering. However, after an intent look, Seven said nothing but relaxed and even placed her hands back down on her thighs.  
  
Seven was surprised by B'Elanna's touch, it reminded her of Jorunn when she had come to comfort Seven in the feast hall. Seven looked into B'Elanna's eyes, tying to discern what the woman was thinking but saw nothing except perhaps concern. Seven realized she had her arms crossed protectively and loosened them, carefully placing her hands on her thighs before continuing. "The Borg beamed us up to the cube and led us all to an assimilation chamber. Two drones stood on either side of me; I believe to make sure that I did not attempt to escape. The cube must have begun traveling into Borg space at that time."  
  
Seven paused again not really wanting to remember the next part but forcing herself to continue, "Thankfully the sedative effect of the initial assimilation held and neither of my parents experienced any pain as they underwent secondary assimilation."  
  
B'Elanna frowned trying to remember but Janeway was faster, "You were there while they were fitted with Borg implants?" B'Elanna noticed the horrified look on the Captain's face right before Janeway got up and moved to the other side of Seven and took one of her hands.  
  
Seven glanced over at the Captain as she sat down beside her and took one of her hands. Seven smiled weakly at her and returned the pressure before continuing, "Yes, I did not know of course at the time what the implants were, I think I was in a state of shock at that point. The operation must have went on for an hour or more as they installed their optical, cortical and aural implants and amputated one of their arms and attached a Borg limb."  
  
Seven paused and then continued, "When their secondary assimilation was completed they were sent to regenerate, I was allowed to sit on the deck nearby. I believe I slept for a time, when I awoke my father instructed me to stand and follow them. They lead me to where the Queen was located. I remember seeing her for the first time when she was lowered into her Borg body. I remember I was...unsettled but not afraid. My parents were there and I knew they were drones now, they did not look at me but they were my parents and I found their presence reassuring. I believe that was her intent. She walked around me and told me that I was special; I was intelligent enough to have been brought to her instead of being assimilated by a drone. She then reached out and touched my cheek and raised my head and bended down, I remember noticing that her pupils were silver. She commented that she was impressed that I was not afraid, and then she assimilated me. I dimly remember being carried to the maturation tank afterwards and it closing over me. I remember nothing after that until I was released from the chamber twelve years later and received my designation."  
  
Janeway examined Seven closely and asked, "Are you ok Seven? I don't think I would have asked you to tell all of us if I had known what all you had witnessed."  
  
"I am ok, it is easier to speak of this since I have related it once already. When I realized I was one of the designated drones I became somewhat... upset. Jorunn comforted me and reminded me I was free. I found that her assistance enabled me to recover quickly and without using my nanoprobes. Also, B'Elanna reminded me of Jorunn when she came over to offer comfort," said Seven thoughtfully.  
  
B'Elanna was embarrassed about having it stated so clearly but she was also curious, who was the Jorunn that Seven mentioned. "Who is Jorunn? And what did she do?" asked B'Elanna curiously. From Janeway's interested look B'Elanna could tell that the question had been on the Captain's mind as well.  
  
"Jorunn is...was the daughter of Eric. She came over like you did Lt. Torres only she sat closer and placed her arm about my waist, she also held one of my hands like Captain Janeway is doing," explained Seven.  
  
Both B'Elanna and the Captain blinked at one another and then looked at Seven. Janeway asked, "You were comfortable with her being that close?"  
  
"Why would I not be?" asked Seven.  
  
Janeway paused searching for a response and finally settled on, "You have always seemed uncomfortable with people touching you in the past Seven, it just surprised me when you described how Jorunn interacted with you."  
  
"I was comfortable with Jorunn touching me after we discussed the parameters of how and why she was doing so," commented Seven with a slight flush to her cheeks.  
  
Silence.  
  
Janeway stared at Seven, B'Elanna stared at Seven, Tuvok raised an eyebrow at the statement.  
  
Seven listened to the silence and waited to see what would happen next, she did not particularly feel like talking about the things that had occurred between Jorunn and her yet, at least not in front of so many people. And she was feeling somewhat sad at the thought of not seeing Jorunn again; holding her in her arms as she fell asleep had been more than pleasant. It had chased some of the loneliness Seven always felt away, if only for a while.  
  
Finally Janeway glanced at Seven and noticed that she was looking unhappy and decided not to press the issue with B'Elanna and Tuvok present. She would ask Seven later when they did not have an audience exactly what she had meant by that statement. And why bringing up Jorunn made Seven unhappy.  
  
Janeway gripped Sevens hand and when she looked up smiled at her reassuringly. "Are you tired Seven?" she asked.  
  
Seven looked at her oddly and said, "No I am not tired, I must have fallen asleep for awhile after Jorunn and I stopped talking. I will be able to function normally today."  
  
Janeway smiled and said, "It sounds like you and Jorunn became good friends during the time you were there."  
  
Seven considered this and replied, "I hope so I came to care for her and I will always remember her with affection. I told her I hope she lived a happy life." Seven paused and continued, "She wished that I would find joy without sorrow, and said that I deserved happiness." Seven looked at Janeway and asked, "Does that indicate friendship?"  
  
Janeway nodded, "Yes that was a very caring thing for her to say. I believe you would not be wrong to call her your friend."  
  
Janeway paused and then said, "Tuvok will you search the database and see if there is any evidence of Seven's visit? Lt. Torres, quick thinking in identifying what the anomaly was and why it occurred. I will see the both of you at the briefing later this morning."  
  
B'Elanna and Tuvok knew a dismissal when they heard one and they both rose and left Seven's quarters leaving her along with the Captain.  
  
After they had left Kathryn said, "I'm sorry Seven I shouldn't have had you describe that, I had no idea you had seen your parents be fully assimilated."  
  
Seven nodded and then said, "I told Altea my name was Annika, I think I would like it if you called me Annika as well."  
  
"Altea, Jorunn, Eric all these names, would you tell me about all these people you met Annika?" asked Kathryn.  
  
Seven smiled and Kathryn found herself smiling back. "Jorunn said I should try to smile more, she said I looked even more beautiful when I did."  
  
Kathryn looked at Seven quizzically, "She's right, would you like to tell me about her?"  
  
Over the next hour Kathryn was by turns concerned, angry, then amused and finally she hugged Seven when Seven related their conversation after the last kiss. Kathryn asked, "So how do you feel about her Annika?"  
  
"I am...was not in love, maybe I could have been had I stayed longer. I came to care about her and I was very attracted to her," said Seven. "I feel lonely now though, falling asleep with her in my arms was...comforting, I did not feel alone. I know I will feel alone tonight and I will miss her."  
  
Kathryn looked over at Annika and saw slow tears roll down her face. Kathryn pulled her into her arms saying, "Oh Annika you have been through a lot tonight haven't you."  
  
Seven cried for only a little while and when Kathryn asked, "She really whispered that in your ear right in the feast hall?" Seven chuckled, and mimicked the tone Jorunn had used, causing Kathryn to start laughing. Seven admitted, "She had to do it twice before I realized what she meant, and I choked on a mouthful of mead when I did. It was her stroking a hand down my back and along my thigh as she said it which finally made me realized what she actually meant."  
  
Kathryn stared at her wide eyed and shook her head, Seven remarked, "Altea had somewhat of the same reaction when I told her that I had agreed to allow Jorunn to tease me if she didn't embarrass me in front of everyone." Seeing the curious look on Kathryn's face Seven related the tale of what Altea had said to her in the feast hall.  
  
They talked some more and Kathryn marveled at how relaxed Seven...Annika seemed. She had been shocked when Annika calmly described how Jorunn had touched her while checking out her injury, and even more shocked when Annika related that she realized that Jorunn was attempting to seduce her and let her continue out of curiosity and the realization that she was reacting to Jorunn's touch. Annika did admit that she probably would not have been so willing to let the situation progress if she had been aware that it was real instead of just a dream.  
  
Then as Annika described the rest of the evening Kathryn realized that she had enjoyed Jorunn's attentions. That the promise that it would stop if Annika asked had made her willing to just experience her reactions to Jorunn, and her innocence allowed her to experience them without embarrassment. Kathryn also realized that though Jorunn might have started the evening with the intention of seducing Annika she did not end it that way. Kathryn suspected that Annika had stolen her way into Jorunn's affections just as Jorunn had Annika's.  
  
Annika paused and asked, "Do you mind that I told her I would prefer Annika Kathrynsdottir instead of Annika Magnusdottir?"  
  
Kathryn smiled, "No, I do not Annika. I wish that you didn't resent your parents so much that you don't like to use Hansen but I do understand. If you continue to feel that way after another year we can discuss whether you would be willing to be Annika Janeway."  
  
Annika responded with a brilliant smile and a nod.  
  
"Do you feel alright about coming to the senior staff meeting or did you need some time off today to think about last night?" asked Kathryn.  
  
"I will be fine Captain," said Seven with a smile.  
  
Janeway nodded and then asked, "Did you want to start using Annika with everyone or did you want me to use it?"  
  
"You for right now please, I would prefer to still use Seven while on duty." Seven explained.  
  
"Alright, we had better get headed up to the bridge or we will be late for the meeting," said Janeway as she rose. Seven got up as well and the two of them headed to the bridge together. 


	6. I am Borg, Part 2, Chapter 6

**I am Borg – Part 2 - Chapter 6 **

**By Kudara**  
  
Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and all who sail in her belong to Paramount/Viacom and no infringement of copyright/trade marks is intended.  
  
Stardate: 52696  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Feedback: Always welcome, feedback is what encourages me to keep writing. Please let me know what you like and what you dislike about the story.  
  
Summary: Staff meeting. Saga of Annika and her foster mother Kathryn Edwardsdottir.  
  
Note: Information about B'Elanna's father contacting her from Pathways by Jeri Taylor

* * *

Seven and Janeway entered the briefing room together, Tuvok had left the seat nearest the Captain's chair, in which he usually sat, empty apparently for Seven. He had two padds in front of him and when they had sat down he handed a padd to both of them. Janeway raised an eyebrow at him, as the rest of the senior officers especially Chakotay were quite curious as to what was going on. Only B'Elanna had an idea of what was going on and she had adamantly insisted that the Captain be the one to brief everyone.  
  
"I have restricted access to these documents to your command code Captain until you have time to review the information I have found and come to a decision about it," Tuvok stated as he handed the padds over.  
  
Janeway replied, "Good thinking, Seven and I will look these over after the briefing and come to a decision about them. Now, to fill everyone in on the cause of the spatial and temporal distortion that was detected early this morning at 0345 hours. The location of the distortion was Seven's quarters, undoubtedly Mulara was the cause of the distortion which sent Seven to mid ninth century Norway for several hours."  
  
She paused and then continued, "Seven believed she was dreaming as she has experienced very vivid dreams ever since her...death on Mularan." Janeway paused and looked curiously at B'Elanna who had straightened up with a thoughtful look on her face. "You have something to add Lt. Torres?"  
  
"I believe I know why Seven was certain she was dreaming. Mulara sent her there to hear a certain statement. Seven would not have knowingly broken the Temporal Prime Directive, but in order to hear what she did she had to break it. I believe that Mulara influenced her to believe it was a dream so that she would tell her story instead of either remaining silent or making something up," said B'Elanna.  
  
Seven nodded, "The thought had crossed my mind as well Lt. Torres. I do not understand now why it did not occur to me to consider the possibility that it was real given some of the events. I do not remember even once thinking it was anything but a dream at the time."  
  
Janeway nodded, "I suspect you are right." She went on to give a brief explanation of what had occurred during Seven's trip to the past. If anyone thought it curious that the Captain was the one telling the tale instead of Seven they did not mention it during the brief. When Janeway revealed that Seven had told her life story to the gathering at the feast hall eyes widened but still no one dared to interrupt the Captain.  
  
By this time Chakotay was looking back and forth between the two wondering why exactly the Captain was protecting Seven from questioning by giving the brief herself.  
  
Finally Janeway related to them the statement that Seven had apparently been taken to the past to hear. That she was one of the drones designated as a possible Queen and it was not likely that the Borg would quit trying to reclaim her.  
  
"How high a priority would the Collective place on reclaiming you Seven?" asked Chakotay.  
  
Seven frowned slightly, "I cannot say, Commander. No designated drone has ever escaped the Collective. I do not believe it would be a high priority task though. It is likely that the Borg would only attempt to reclaim me if I came into close proximity of a Borg ship."  
  
Janeway broke in, "We can discuss the implications of this later after Seven and I have reviewed the data Lt. Cmdr Tuvok located. Now, lets move on to the departmental briefs."  
  
Chakotay, Paris and Kim stared for a moment at the Captain then looked back to their padds. Thirty minutes later after the departmental briefings were done Janeway dismissed the meeting after requesting Lt. Torres and the Doctor to keep the information they knew about the incident to themselves until further notice.  
  
With that Janeway dismissed everyone but Seven, who accompanied her to the Captain's Ready Room. As they walked through the bridge area Janeway was heard to ask, "Would you be interested in breakfast Seven, I'm starving."  
  
Seven smiled slightly, "Coffee perhaps and some Quara fruit would be nice."  
  
Janeway crowed, "Ah ha, another convert, I knew you would like coffee," as they disappeared into the Ready Room leaving the officers on the bridge staring after them with expressions of surprise.  
  
Seven watched as Kathryn replicated two coffees and the some fruit for the both of them. Before she could start reading her data padd Seven asked a question that had been puzzling her, "Captain why did you give the brief instead of me? I assumed that I would be the one giving the brief since I of course am more familiar with what occurred."  
  
Kathryn said, "I wanted to make sure that certain questions were not asked until I had a chance to go over things with you. I know your briefs are very through and there are some things you told me about that I didn't want certain officers there to hear about. Your personal life does not need to be part of the ship's gossip."  
  
Seven considered her words and realized that she had not informed Kathryn of the extensive research she had conducted into the topic of human sexual behavior and cultural expectations about that behavior. "I have conducted research as you suggested, including a through work by Uahae Aayhea, an Andorian researcher on human-nonhuman relationships written to assist the non-human with understanding human cultural beliefs and mannerisms relating to human sexual behavior. I believe I have a better understanding of what is considered private knowledge and what is considered public knowledge now. I would not have included any information about what Jorunn and I shared at the briefing. I understand it is considered part of my 'personal life'."  
  
Kathryn looked at her oddly for a moment then with a snort laughed quietly for a moment. Seven straightened wondering if she was laughing at her but Kathryn quickly explained, "I'm not laughing at you Annika, I'm laughing at myself. I used to hate it when my mother was overprotective of me, and yet here I am doing the exact same thing to you. I felt so helpless and angry when you were on Mularan knowing that I had failed you, I guess I've been overcompensating since you got back."  
  
"You should not blame yourself Kathryn for what happened on Mulara, you did not have time to rescue me," said Seven.  
  
Kathryn responded pensively, "Intellectually I know that Annika, I still feel as though I failed you."  
  
Seven felt at a loss as to how to respond to Kathryn, finally getting up and moving to sit next to her and then taking one of the older woman's hands in her own. As Kathryn looked at her in surprise and smiled, Seven said, "I do not feel that you have failed me Kathryn.  
  
"Thank you, Annika," said Kathryn.  
  
The two were silent a moment then Kathryn gently pulled her hand free and picked up her padd and began to read. "Oh my," she immediately said.  
  
"The title," commented Seven.  
  
"Yes," responded Kathryn, "I guess I am your foster mother aren't I?"  
  
"Do you mind?" asked Seven hesitantly.  
  
"Everyone knowing that I think of you as my daughter? No, and it's better than some of the other rumors floating around," commented Kathryn.  
  
"You are speaking of those that think we have an intimate relationship," Seven said calmly.  
  
Kathryn looked at her in surprise, "I didn't know you had heard those, but yes. At least this will lay that fallacy to rest."  
  
Seven finished reading the 'Saga of Annika and her foster mother Kathryn Edwardsdottir' far quicker than Kathryn. The Vikings had obviously been much impressed with her description of Kathryn's actions. Seven waited patiently for Kathryn watching her intently to see what her reactions would be to some of the more heroically phased passages.  
  
Seven was surprised when Kathryn didn't comment on any of the phrasing but looked up at her with sorrow in her eyes. "Oh Annika why didn't you tell me your father was on the Queen's ship," said Kathryn.  
  
Seven flinched and looked away for a moment then said, "There was no time, and there was no other sound tactical choice but to destroy the Queen's ship."  
  
"And afterwards? Why not tell me then Annika. We must have seemed so insensitive. Is that why you were still working that night?" asked Kathryn.  
  
"I...I did not want to tell anyone," Seven said, "I am not certain he was present on the Queens ship when it exploded."  
  
Kathryn looked at her penetratingly, "But you are almost certain, aren't you."  
  
Seven glanced at her and nodded.  
  
"What are you feeling Annika?" asked Kathryn. Seven stood up at the question and looked out the window at the stars streaking by with her arms crossed. Kathryn thought for a few moments that she would not answer her but finally she started speaking.  
  
"He...they should have left after they had a year's worth of data. They knew what would happen if our vessel was detected, yet they stayed. Because of them I was...am Borg, I remember all those I assimilated...remember killing... men, women, children...because they were deemed unfit for assimilation. Seven had started pacing as the first few words and was now making angry passes across the Ready Room floor, her voice rising as she spoke. Then she stopped and turned and looked at Kathryn. "All because of their curiosity," said Seven in a low angry tone.  
  
She paused and then started speaking again, "I do not know what I feel about his death. I am relieved he is no longer a drone that he is not assimilating others. I...I do not know what I would say to him if you had saved him from the Borg. He was my Papa... I...loved him... and yet...I was...I am still angry at him."  
  
Kathryn got up and walked toward her and put an arm about her waist and hugged her, "I can see why you would feel that way. I've never asked if you could remember the things you did while you were a Borg, I guess I wanted to believe that you wouldn't clearly remember them. But I never asked... maybe because I didn't want to know that you did."  
  
"There is a difference in the memories and the one's I have of events since I became an individual. They are..." Seven paused as she tried to find the words to explain, "I feel removed from them... I know that I was the person doing the action but they do not have the... clarity and focus of my memories of my time on Voyager."  
  
The two stared out into space for a few moments silent then Kathryn sighed, "What do you think of releasing the Saga? I'm a bit embarrassed about how they portrayed me, but I'm more concerned about you being comfortable with the crew reading it. I don't know how many have ever considered events from your perspective, and I don't know how you feel about them knowing about your father's death."  
  
Seven said, "I am uncertain, perhaps it would be useful to get the opinion of others, perhaps Lt. Cmdr Tuvok and Lt. Torres."

* * *

Lt. Cmdr Tuvok had stated two main reasons to release the Saga, the first was that the Saga was public information; the second was that he thought it might be beneficial for the crew to know what Seven's view of events had been.  
  
B'Elanna had been honored that Seven had wanted her opinion on whether or not to release what the Norse had written about her tale. Janeway had called her to her Ready Room to read the Saga while Seven took the opportunity to catch up with some work in Astrometics. She had thought it would be interesting to read something from Seven's perspective, and it had been. It had also been disturbing; she had not really considered the fact that Seven had essentially lost 12 years of her life while in the maturation chamber.  
  
With a sense of shame she remembered the day that she had angrily asked Seven if she ever felt guilty about assimilating others, she had thought that Seven's reply of "guilt is irrelevant" indicated that Seven did not care about those she had assimilated. After Seven was found innocent on Mularan she had realized that Seven had been answering her question precisely and honestly. Guilt was irrelevant when you had no free will; it was rather like asking a weapon if it felt guilty over being used to kill someone.  
  
What she hadn't realized until now was that Seven did have strong feelings over being used in such a manner, the Saga made it clear that she felt anger and remorse and B'Elanna suspected a strong sense of helplessness over her past. B'Elanna had never really equated being assimilated with being enslaved, but the Vikings had interpreted what she had said with a sorcery that enslaved both body and mind. After considering it B'Elanna thought that perhaps they had come closer to the truth than her more technical understanding of the process.  
  
B'Elanna had always thought the Borg had broken the alliance just like Chakotay had predicted they would when Seven had tried to assimilate the ship. What she found interesting from the Saga was that from what Seven related, the Borg had not been breaking the alliance at that point. There had been no alliance in the Borg's viewpoint, Chakotay had already broken it and Janeway's actions in helping the Borg while in fluidic space were, she thought, deemed 'irrelevant.'  
  
B'Elanna had always held it against Seven that she hadn't been more grateful when they had freed her from the collective. That she hadn't made more of an effort to fit into the crew. She had blamed her for trying to contact the Borg right after they had freed her from the Collective. B'Elanna had never considered that Seven had not seen herself as rescued at all, from what B'Elanna had read kidnapped would be more accurately how Seven had seen their actions. Kidnapped and forced to try to fit into what she had obviously seen as a chaotic and confusing group of people who made no effort to understand her except for Captain Janeway...and Harry, B'Elanna added.  
  
"Finally Annika came to cherish herself as an individual and to understand why those around her thought so highly of it. Yet she did not feel welcomed by the crewmates of her ship, though she risked her life no less than they did in battle they would not accept her, not seeing past her mannerisms and way of speaking that were foreign to them.  
  
The room was still as she spoke, her face calm as befitting a warrior but in her voice and eyes everyone could see the pain and loneliness of the beautiful shield maiden. The Earls daughter Jorunn seeing her pain came and sat down beside her and comforted her, as did Altea the Earls cousin. Her pain eased she once again began speaking. ..."  
  
B'Elanna knew something about that passage bothered her, suddenly she realized what it was. Both she and the Captain had been surprised when Seven had told them that she had not been uncomfortable with Jorunn touching her. And the passage made it clear that not only had Jorunn reached out but Altea had as well, and had comforted Seven as she told the gathering about how difficult things had been for her aboard Voyager. Which meant that two women who barely knew Seven had reached out to offer comfort even through Sevens aloof shell, and no one aboard Voyager had ever tried to do the same that B'Elanna knew of.  
  
'Sometimes', B'Elanna thought to herself, 'I wonder why Seven helps us as much as she does, why is she willing to risk her life for people who treat her so badly.' A bitter bile taste arose in the back of her mouth as she contemplated this and she closed her eyes for a moment then shook her head and went on reading.  
  
B'Elanna was surprised when she read that the Queen had brought the drone of Seven's father out to try and persuade her to rejoin the Borg. Seven had apparently called him Papa when she recognized him and then upon seeing the lack of reaction or emotion in his face had become even more resolved to keep resisting the Queen's attempts to turn her loyalties back to the Borg. 'Something even I could have predicted,' thought B'Elanna, 'Not a particularly smart move Borg Queen.'  
  
Even through the dour mood she was in B'Elanna had to chuckle at the description of Kathryn Edwardsdottir's daring rescue of Annika and her courageous and brave lone confrontation of the Queen. Much was made of Janeway's willingness to risk death rather than let Annika be enslaved again, and also of Annika's acceptance of death being preferable to being made a slave once more.  
  
B'Elanna was almost smiling by the time she read of Voyagers victory over the Queens ship, she remembered the relief when they had successfully collapsed the transwarp conduit and then the elation when the several Borg signatures from the collapsed conduit had turned out to be the fragments of the Queens ship. Suddenly the next sentence wiped the smile from her face as she made a connection that she had missed...Seven's father, they had killed him.  
  
"Shield maiden you seem to never have any blessings that do not come with a great sorrow. Spoke Earl Eric Haroldson...."  
  
B'Elanna sighed as she realized how true these words were, why hadn't Seven told them that her father had been on the Queen's ship? She had appeared more icily Borg than ever right afterward and B'Elanna had just put it down to her being exposed to the Borg and picking back up old habits. Now she realized that Seven had been dealing in silence with her father's death while they had been celebrating their victory over the Queen.  
  
B'Elanna read the rest of the story as she tried to sort out the thoughts and feelings that had arisen. The remainder of the story she was familiar with, the events on Mularan, and the revelation that Seven was one of the designated drones.  
  
B'Elanna finished reading the Saga and pondered, she was once again angry with herself for how she had treated Seven. Before she felt ashamed because she had failed to realize that Seven was not an adult and that she hadn't responded in a more mature manner. Now she felt ashamed because they had taken a frightened unwilling woman from the Borg and then failed to give her the kindness and understanding she needed to feel accepted and welcome among them.  
  
B'Elanna sighed and then dropped her forehead into her cupped hands as she rested her elbows on her thighs and tried to think of what to say to Seven about whether releasing the Saga was a good idea or not.  
  
"B'Elanna are you in pain?" asked Seven as she walked into the Ready Room and saw the Chief Engineer with her forehead cupped in her hands. B'Elanna jerked upward and looked at her with an expression Seven didn't quite recognize.  
  
"Seven," B'Elanna said, "I...I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for how I treated you. I should have apologized days ago when you first came back on board but I was a coward and didn't want to bring up the past when we seemed to be getting along so well. I should have stopped the gossiping about you, it's my fault that the engineering crew told the Mularans about you." B'Elanna stood and turned staring out the window and wrapped her arms around herself and whispered, "It's my fault they thought they could take you and kill you."  
  
Seven pondered B'Elanna's words and asked, "You told them to share the information with the Mularans?"  
  
B'Elanna turned around and with a spark of anger, "No! Of course not. I meant that I didn't stop the gossiping and the way they treated you. I...I just saw that they were standing up for me; I didn't realize how much it hurt you. Or maybe I just didn't want to see what I was doing..." B'Elanna turned back toward the window at the last statement.  
  
Seven watched the reflection of her face in the window for a moment and asked, "Why did you want to hurt me B'Elanna?" B'Elanna's form jerked and her eyes met Seven's in the reflection. Suddenly Seven thought she recognized what emotion was in them...pain, just before B'Elanna tore her eyes away.  
  
"I...Damn it Seven don't you ever want to lash out at us?" said B'Elanna as she turned suddenly and looked into Seven's concerned face.  
  
Seven considered the words and came to a realization, "How have I hurt you B'Elanna?" Seven felt a heaviness in her chest and said in a low voice, "I hurt you when I provoked you," Seven answered her own question, "I apologize."  
  
B'Elanna looked into Seven's face and could only see honest regret there and sighed, she could not let Seven continue to believe that it was all her fault. "Seven sometimes you did hurt me when you were rude to me, but mostly I lashed out at you because I was so jealous of you. Of how smart you were, how beautiful, and because I felt you had taken my place with the Captain. None of which is your fault, Seven, I have dishonored myself by how I acted. I can only try and make it up to you."  
  
Something flickered in Seven's eyes before she said, "You are only willing to be around me because you feel guilty."  
  
B'Elanna noticed how she made it a statement and rushed to correct her, "No Seven, well maybe at first, but not now. Seven, you've let me see more of who you are in the past two days than I saw the past... what almost two years now? And I like the person I'm getting to know, I just wish I had known who was behind all that Borg shielding before." B'Elanna made sure that Seven was listening to her before continuing, "I want to get to know who Seven is... I would like to be her friend...if she will let me."  
  
Seven found the third person phrasing odd but understood that B'Elanna was asking her if she would allow her to be her friend, "I will let you." Seven hesitated and then continued, "B'Elanna, I do not understand why you are jealous of me, you are as smart as I am, and as beautiful. And the Captain does care about you."  
  
"You think I'm smart?" asked B'Elanna, looking at Seven wonderingly.  
  
Seven took a few strides through the room closer to her and answered, "Yes, your ability to come to the correct conclusion without going through a linear thought process is...remarkable. I must work through problems logically to reach a conclusion, you often do not. It is an ability I wish I could emulate."  
  
B'Elanna smiled, "It's usually called intuition. You've always impressed me by your ability to make logical sense of data that at first look is bewildering. While I'm trying to make heads or tails out of it, you've already analyzed it and come up with an explanation and answer. You know, now that we are going to be friends, maybe we could work on things together more often. I bet we would make a great team."  
  
Seven smiled, a full happy smile instead of one of the slight ones she usually used, "I would like that."  
  
B'Elanna could swear she felt her hearts pause for a moment then start again at a quicker pace at the openly pleased expression on Seven's face. She only realized that she was staring at Seven in wonder when the smile disappeared and Seven looked at her uncertainly. B'Elanna said, "Sorry for staring Seven, I've never seen you smile like that before it surprised me, you look...different when you smile."  
  
Seven tilted her head to the side and said; "Jorunn said I looked more beautiful when I smiled."  
  
B'Elanna stilled for a moment, "She did? Well...I would have to agree with her. It sounds like you two got along well during your time there." B'Elanna knew she was fishing for information, something was informing her that this Jorunn seemed entirely too flattering and friendly for her liking.  
  
Seven nodded, "I believe we were friends before I left, I know I shall miss her." Seven stared pensively at the window before noticing B'Elanna's slight frown. Seven stared curiously at her wondering what was bothering her new friend.  
  
B'Elanna stared at Seven trying to read the emotions playing across the normally controlled face. The sad expression on Seven's face when she said that she would miss Jorunn triggered a reaction that B'Elanna was ashamed of when she recognized it. Jealousy, she was jealous of this Jorunn woman who had comforted Seven and had won her friendship within a few hours of meeting her. B'Elanna noticed Seven looking at her curiously and weakly offered, "Well, you do have one friend here, remember."  
  
Seven's mouth twitched and she replied, "Yes, but I do not think you will be offering to hold me while I sleep tonight B'Elanna. Or giving me lessons on how to kiss." Seven's eyes twinkled merrily as she watched B'Elanna's jaw drop, her pensiveness gone for right now.  
  
B'Elanna stared at Seven in shock, "She tried to seduce you!" she stated, feeling a building anger. At what she wasn't certain, at Jorunn for taking advantage of Seven's innocence, at Jorunn for doing what B'Elanna wished she was free to, or at Seven for accepting another woman's advances.  
  
Seven frowned at B'Elanna catching the anger in her tone, "Yes, she did. It was quite enjoyable. Why are you angry?"  
  
B'Elanna sputtered, "Because she took advantage of you Seven, she ..."  
  
"Did not do anything to me that I objected to," interrupted Seven.  
  
B'Elanna realized belatedly that she was standing there opening and closing her mouth trying to find a way to respond to Seven's statement without betraying herself and snapped her mouth shut angrily. 'It's not as if you have a right to say anything B'Elanna' whispered her conscious 'you're the one who decided to ignore your attraction to her and stay with Tom, what right do you have to object just because someone else didn't?' B'Elanna ruefully acknowledged the truth of her thoughts; she didn't have any right to get angry with Seven for accepting the advances of another at all.  
  
"I have had several members of Voyagers crew attempt to initiate physical intimacy with me, B'Elanna, and I had no difficulty refusing them. I made the decision to allow Jorunn to continue, indeed it would be difficult for anyone to 'take advantage of me' as you stated, if I did not allow it," stated Seven.  
  
B'Elanna held up her hands in a gesture of surrender, "Ok, ok... I get the message. Your perfectly capable of taking care of yourself." B'Elanna decided it was time for a tactical change of subject, "So I guess you want my opinion about releasing this Saga."  
  
Seven was confused by B'Elanna's reaction to her words; she had intended to amuse the other woman but instead had apparently upset her. Perhaps B'Elanna like Kathryn was in an overprotective mode, Seven thought. "Yes," said Seven simply.  
  
B'Elanna looked directly at Seven for a moment, "I think you should. I think it would help a lot of people see who you actually are, and I'm sorry about your father. Why didn't you let us know?" B'Elanna was stunned by the emotions that ran across Seven's face when she mentioned her father, anger, sadness and then a look of weariness.  
  
"I do not want to discuss my father," said Seven stiffly, shifting and fighting to not slip into her old Borg stance.  
  
B'Elanna noted how Seven started to stand with her hands behind her back and caught herself, instead choosing to cross them over her chest. She hadn't really considered what Seven thought of her parents, even though she had heard through the grapevine that Seven had made some harsh comments when she had read their journals awhile back. B'Elanna hadn't really thought about it then, but now after reading the Saga she stared at Seven and considered how the other woman felt about her parents. Parents that, as the Saga put it, took their young daughter along with them on a spying mission.  
  
B'Elanna smiled without any humor and said, "I've always been mad at my father for leaving me when I was a child; I guess you wish yours had left you."  
  
Seven looked at B'Elanna somewhat perplexed by her statement.  
  
"My father left my mother and I because he could no longer stand living with two Klingons when I was a child. Your father took you with him to study the Borg and got you assimilated," said B'Elanna.  
  
"You are asking whether I wish that my parents had left me behind instead of taking me with them," said Seven. She was quiet for awhile, her face both pensive and bitter before she finally said, "I do not know, three weeks ago perhaps I would have said yes. Now though I am unsure if I would trade my life for a different one."  
  
"My father sent me messages while I was at the Academy," said B'Elanna. "I never responded, I didn't know what I would say to him so I just didn't." B'Elanna was aware of Seven's sharp gaze on her as she continued, "Some days I think that if I were to meet him I would want to beat him, other days...I don't know ask him why he couldn't love me I guess." B'Elanna felt tears threatening but she continued, "Now of course I probably won't ever have to worry what I would do if I meet him, because he's likely to be dead by the time we get back. And sometimes I'm relieved that I won't have to figure it out." B'Elanna looked into Seven's eyes and saw understanding there.  
  
Seven nodded not trusting her voice and breathed deeply a few times before saying, "When what remained of the Queen's ship exited from the transwarp conduit, I did not feel anything though I was certain he was dead. Since then I have experienced feelings of anger, sorrow, remorse...love. Sometimes I am also relieved that I will never have to face my father and ask him why."  
  
The two women looked at each other, both knowing that this was something that they could safely share with each other that few others on the ship would be able to understand. B'Elanna noticed that Seven had lost her fight to hold in her tears and impulsively she walked over and wrapped her arms around Seven who after a startled second returned the embrace. B'Elanna felt Seven rest her head against her shoulder and closed her eyes, feeling her own tears slip down her face. 


	7. I am Borg, Part 2, Chapter 7

**I am Borg – Part 2 - Chapter 7 **

**By Kudara**  
  
Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and all who sail in her belong to Paramount/Viacom and no infringement of copyright/trade marks is intended.  
  
Stardate: 52697  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Feedback: Always welcome, feedback is what encourages me to keep writing. Please let me know what you like and what you dislike about the story.  
  
Archiving: Archived at ; ; (best place to find most recent postings)  
  
Summary: Seven decides to release the Saga. B'Elanna loans out Toby. Seven apologizes for studying B'Elanna and Tom Paris.

* * *

Janeway walked into her Ready Room and stopped at the sight of Seven and B'Elanna in a loose embrace. Upon hearing he doors the two stepped away from each other at her entrance and glanced over to see who had entered, relaxing noticeably when they saw it was her. She could tell they had been crying from the evidence on their faces before they circumspectly began trying to wipe the tears away.  
  
"Why don't you two use the refresher before we discuss things," said Janeway deciding to be matter of fact about the matter in the hope of not embarrassing them.  
  
B'Elanna motioned Seven to go ahead first and as the doors closed behind the woman met the Captain's eyes for a moment and simply said, "Fathers."  
  
Janeway who knew something of B'Elanna's feelings for her own father nodded, "Thank you B'Elanna, if anyone on this ship could understand Seven's conflicted feelings about her father's death it would be you."  
  
Seven came back out of the refresher and B'Elanna took her turn while the other two women waited silently for her return.  
  
Janeway noted that Seven looked calmer and hoped that the two women would help each other come to some acceptance of their respective pasts. When B'Elanna came back she said, "Well B'Elanna what do you think of the Saga?"  
  
B'Elanna grinned at the Captain, "They liked you quite a lot, oh brave, courageous and bold Captain." A mock stern look from Janeway merely caused B'Elanna to chuckle and then she sobered and continued, "I think it would be a good idea to release it, if Seven is comfortable with the crew knowing what she felt when she joined Voyager. I didn't realize before I read it just how hard it was for her to understand us, and I didn't know how unwilling she originally was to join us."  
  
B'Elanna looked thoughtfully at the Captain, "I thought that once she was freed from the Collective that she wanted to join Voyager. I never knew that Seven made several requests to be returned to the Borg and you denied them Captain."  
  
Janeway frowned slightly, "Would it have made any difference if you had known? I did what I thought was best for Seven then, and I know she appreciates my stubbornness about the matter now." Janeway smiled at Seven who nodded in return.  
  
"That's true, but I, and I think a lot of the crew, thought that Seven was grateful to be rescued. When she continued acting and sounding so Borg... well, we held it against her. If I had known then that she hadn't joined us willingly I wouldn't have expected her to be grateful. I mean its one thing to expect a person to be grateful when you rescue them, but I wouldn't expect the same thing from someone who saw themselves as kidnapped. And... well the Saga makes it quite clear that Seven didn't see us as rescuers for awhile," replied B'Elanna with a regretful look at Seven.  
  
Seven stared back thoughtfully at B'Elanna; she had never understood exactly why the crew had acted like they did toward her in the very beginning of her time on Voyager until now. Seven nodded in understanding to B'Elanna, "Thank you for your explanation Lt. Torres. You believe that releasing the Saga will change many of the crew members' perceptions of my past actions?"  
  
"I hope it will," answered B'Elanna, "But I'm concerned about how you will react to them knowing about your father's death. They will want to speak with you about it, if only to offer their condolences."  
  
Janeway looked at Seven and knew that B'Elanna was correct; Seven would not react well to the innocent comments about how the crew thought she would be feeling about the death of her father. It had been her main concern about releasing the Saga as well. "Perhaps if I put in a notice asking the crew to not bring up the matter for now, that Seven does not wish to discuss her father's possible death at this time?" offered Janeway.  
  
They both looked inquiringly at Seven who thought about the Captain's offer, "If you believe that would suffice to discourage their inquiries then I have no other concerns about releasing the Saga."  
  
Janeway looked into the calm steady eyes of the ex Borg and nodded satisfied, "I'll write up something and then release the restrictions on the story."

* * *

The evening of the same day Seven and Janeway met outside of Holodeck One for their scheduled Velocity match.  
  
Seven was wearing an all red Mularan outfit and had caught whispered comments as she walked through the hallways to the Holodeck about how flattering and more appropriate her new clothing was.  
  
"New ground rules, no use of your new fibers while playing the Captain," said Kathryn as they waited for the previous occupants to exit.  
  
Seven raised her ocular exoskeleton, "I had not been planning on doing so Captain that would be... cheating. Though I am uncertain how I will play without the advantage my Borg enhancements gave me before. I hope I will prove to be as able an opponent for you."  
  
"I'm certain you will Seven," Kathryn responded and then nodded in greeting to Naomi and Samantha Wildman as they exited Naomi's Flotter program. It was the first time the young girl had a chance to see Seven since her disappearance and she squealed in excitement and ran over to Seven and hugged her about her legs. Samantha had not told her about the ordeal Seven had went through, only saying that Seven was on a mission with the Mularans for several days.  
  
"Seven!" cried the girl happily, and then she stared in wonder at her friend. "What happened to your implants?"  
  
Seven looked inquiringly at Samatha Wildman who shook her head slightly with an entreaty in her eyes. "They were changed as a gift to me by Mulara." Seven showed her hand to Naomi then she unwrapped the wristband and folded the sleeve up to show her that the exoskeleton extended up her arm.  
  
Naomi exclaimed in wonder as she touched Seven's arm, "It's beautiful, what is the pattern in the lines?"  
  
"I do not know if it has a name, it is a pattern frequently used by Mulara," said Seven.  
  
Naomi looked at her curiously, "Does this mean you aren't Borg anymore?"  
  
Seven raised her ocular exoskeleton as she pondered the question, "Being Borg is more than the composition of my implants Naomi Wildman. I am still Borg...just as I am also still human." Seven was aware of Kathryn and Samantha Wildman looking at her in surprise but Naomi seemed to understand what she meant.  
  
"Are you and the Captain playing Velocity?" Naomi asked.  
  
Seven nodded and Naomi said, "Can we play a game of Kadis-Kot soon?"  
  
"I am exercising with Lt. Torres tomorrow, perhaps the next day?" Seven inquired.  
  
Naomi smiled enthusiastically, "1700 hours, my quarters?" she looked at her mother for permission.  
  
Samantha Wildman smiled and nodded, "That would be fine, we will see you then Seven?"  
  
"I will be prompt," Seven replied and the four of them went their different ways; Kathryn and Seven into the Holodeck, Naomi and Samantha Wildman toward the mess hall.  
  
From the start of the match Seven was aware that she was more attuned to the location of the target than she had been in the past. Her marital arts training emphasized calmness and alertness, and she was finding that those lessons were serving her well now. The first match went to Kathryn but only because Seven had been unable to acquire the target quickly enough after one of Kathryn's amazing saves to prevent it from hitting her.  
  
"Almost, Annika you're staying with the target better than I remember from... before." Kathryn grimaced briefly at the reminder that they hadn't played since before Seven died.  
  
"References to my death do not bother me Kathryn; you need not avoid the subject. I believe my martial arts training is proving beneficial to my game. I am more aware of where the target is located now." Seven waited for Kathryn to acknowledge the second match and then directed the computer to begin.  
  
The second set went to Seven and the third as well. During the fourth set Kathryn asked, "Annika what did you mean by your comment to Naomi that there was more to being Borg than your implants?"  
  
Seven had been expecting the question and was slightly surprised that it took Kathryn until the fourth match to ask it. "Trying to distract me Kathryn?" Seven asked with a lifted brow. Kathryn quirked an eyebrow back and they remained silent for the rest of the match until Kathryn won it.  
  
"2-2," Kathryn said, "Water break? And you can tell me what you meant without being distracted." Kathryn gave Seven a lopsided smile.  
  
"I believe you know that I meant my Borg ways of thinking, seeking perfection, valuing efficiency, my dislike of what I view as irrelevant." Seven paused thoughtfully, "There are many actions I regret being commanded to do during my time with the Borg, yet there are also many things that I value about being Borg. I..."  
  
Kathryn waited but Seven didn't finish her statement, "You what?" she asked gently.  
  
Seven looked at her wistfully, "I wish I could have the things I value about being Borg without things I regret." Seven's face tightened and she said in a colder tone, "An impossible wish and therefore irrelevant. Are you ready to begin the fifth match?"  
  
Kathryn sighed and looked as if she would say something but then shook her head and simply replied "Computer begin fifth match."  
  
At the end of their time the score was 6-8 and they reluctantly surrendered the Holodeck to the next crewmember.  
  
"Good match," commented Kathryn, "I can see it won't be long before you will be winning your share of them. You're certainly going to keep me on my toes."  
  
Seven tilted her head slightly obviously deciphering the comment and then nodded, "That is my intention Captain."  
  
Seven wished Kathryn a good night before heading to her quarters to shower and change. She was supposed to meet B'Elanna over dinner to discuss her ideas for a chemical reactor to supply additional power for non-essential systems like food replicators.  
  
Kathryn walked to her quarters thinking of how Annika seemed to be struggling with several different issues lately, her father, her feelings about being Borg, and her relationship with the rest of the crew. She was concerned that Annika was dealing with too many difficult problems and wondered why they seemed to have all come up at once.  
  
Suddenly she realized that Annika was finally allowing herself to feel instead of ignoring or burying the emotions. All the issues she was struggling with were deeply emotional ones. Issues that she had dismissed undoubtedly as irrelevant before her death, now apparently were not. Kathryn realized suddenly that because Annika was evaluating the aspects of her Borgness she wanted to retain, along with all the other issues she was contemplating from an emotional and subjective point of view, she was becoming more human every day.

* * *

B'Elanna was slowly working her way through Nelix's rendition of Black Beans and Rice in honor of one of their Cajun crewmembers birthday and blessing the fact that she had a Klingon instead of a Human stomach when Seven came into the mess hall. Seven nodded to her and went to get her own serving of dinner before joining her.  
  
B'Elanna decided to sit back and wait for Seven to take her first bite of the amazingly hot meal rationalizing that she wouldn't decrease the sensitivity of her taste receptors until afterward.  
  
The look on Seven's face right after she took her first bite did not disappoint B'Elanna who chuckled and grinned at Seven. Seven raised one brow at her in reply and then focused upon decreasing her sensitivity to the hot spices used by 50% before attempting another bite. Finding the food to be acceptable at that sensitivity level she started eating with more assurance.  
  
B'Elanna grumbled, "That's not fair." As she handed Seven a data padd with the research work she had done so far.  
  
Seven's lips quirked and her eyes danced, "You are envious of my ability to control my sensitivity to taste?"  
  
B'Elanna groused back, "Yes I am, my stomach can handle almost anything but I still have to taste it and this stuff is incredibly hot."  
  
"I can always assimilate you B'Elanna, by tomorrow you should have no further concerns about Nelix's meals," Seven offered with a deadpan expression.  
  
B'Elanna just shook her head at Seven and replied lightly, "I've been trying to eat this for ten minutes now, don't tempt me."  
  
Seven smirked and almost imperceptibly chuckled slightly before turning her attention to the data padd missing B'Elanna's surprised look as she caught the slight laugher. B'Elanna noticed that Seven's hair was in yet another braid style tonight; ever since her Nordic adventure Seven had been experimenting with different braids. Tonight's seemed to consist of two rows that started at her temples and extended backwards to meet in one braid that she had left hanging down her back. While on duty Seven often wore her hair in the chignon that she had worn since she joined the ship, but after duty hours she often wore it braided or gathered loosely in various styles.  
  
Seven's willingness to experiment with new hairstyles was just one among many examples of how she had changed since her death on Mulara. B'Elanna frequently felt that in many ways she didn't know the woman in front of her at all or maybe she had just let her hostility blind her to the person under the Borg shell.  
  
B'Elanna watched the minute expressions crossing Seven's face as she quickly considered the remaining issues B'Elanna had with the chemical reactor and reluctantly acknowledged that she was starting to feel more than just physical attraction for the woman across from her. There was something about watching Seven begin to acknowledge her emotions and her attempts to deal with them that made B'Elanna feel extremely protective of her.  
  
B'Elanna remembered watching a young foal one summer morning when she was a child exploring its pasture for the first time. The young horse had looked at everything with wide eyed wonder, jumping and snorting at butterflies and then finding its legs and running around in short dashes that never took it far from its mother. The youngster had stumbled and fallen during one of these dashes and the young B'Elanna had watched anxiously as its mother had come over to nuzzle it as it shakily stood. It had stayed close by its mother after that for awhile looking suspiciously at the ground as if it had attacked it before venturing back out again.  
  
Seven reminded her of that young horse these days, she seemed to have emerged from the emotional cocoon she had been in and was now tentatively exploring a new world. B'Elanna looked pensively out the mess hall window as she considered the fact that her own choices had resulted in Seven taking some of those first steps with Jorunn. B'Elanna remembered Seven's sad demeanor when she spoke of Jorunn and realized that she had stumbled slightly already during her explorations.  
  
Seven broke into her thoughts with a suggestion and she and B'Elanna were swiftly involved in a technical discussion on the relative merits of different chemical fusion reactions and methods to convert the energy formed from them into the existing plasma system. Eventually the two whittled down the options each had presented into a few that they both agreed upon, and after a few more minutes of discussion it appeared that the next logical step was to perform simulations of the proposed options and then choose the most likely one. The final step would be to inform the Captain and get her approval and input on the proposed project.  
  
As it was quite late when they finished the two of them parted ways at Seven's quarters.  
  
"See you tomorrow in engineering?" B'Elanna inquired.  
  
Seven nodded, "Yes, we can run the simulation's and further narrow down the best energy conversion method before presenting our proposal to the Captain."  
  
"Goodnight then Seven," B'Elanna hesitated for a moment and seemed to want to say something else but remained silent.  
  
Seven looked at her inquisitively then seemed to understand that B'Elanna did not know how to bring up what she had said about missing Jorunn tonight. "I am tired enough that I am sure I will be able to sleep B'Elanna."  
  
B'Elanna seemed to suddenly come to a decision, "Wait here Seven." B'Elanna strode off towards her quarters and before she could too closely examining her motives grabbed up Toby and returned to Seven's quarters, thanking Kathless that no one had seen her walking through the corridors with her stuffed Targ. "Toby always helps me sleep when I'm feeling lonely," she said as she thrust the stuffed animal toward Seven.  
  
Seven gave her a surprised look as she accepted the stuffed animal and gave it an experimental hug and lowered her face to smell B'Elanna's familiar scent on the fabric. "It smells like you," she said her voice softening, "I'm certain that Toby will assist my efforts to successfully sleep B'Elanna. Are you certain you will sleep well without his assistance?"  
  
B'Elanna whose heart rate had decidedly increased upon seeing Seven hug Toby to her hoped that the too observant woman missed the signs of her arousal, saying "I'll be fine." She couldn't help but add, "I'll just think of Toby and I'm certain I will have pleasant dreams." Realizing what she had just said she comforted herself with the thought that it would likely go unnoticed by Seven and berated herself silently for the slip. "Pleasant dreams, Seven." B'Elanna wished before quickly leaving before she betrayed herself further.  
  
Seven entered her quarters still holding Toby and considered B'Elanna's actions. Jorunn had certainly made her much more aware of the ways that people showed sexual attraction. Curious because of certain physiological changes she had sensed, Seven ran through the last few minutes of interaction with B'Elanna. She had heard B'Elanna's heart rate increase, and noticed her eyes dilate slightly the moment she had accepted the stuffed animal and hugged it.  
  
Seven wasn't certain how to interpret the statement B'Elanna had made except that she was aware that it could be interpreted to mean that B'Elanna would have pleasant dreams thinking of her holding Toby. Seven decided that her data was inconclusive; she could not determine whether B'Elanna might be attracted to her or not with the data she currently had. More data would have to be obtained.  
  
Seven undressed, preparing for bed, as she slipped into bed she wrapped her arms around Toby and pulled the stuffed animal snugly to her chest. Burying her face into the fabric she took a deep breath of B'Elanna's scent. It was a comforting one and it was not long before Seven feel deeply asleep.  
  
The next morning Seven presented herself and Toby at B'Elanna's quarters. When B'Elanna opened the door to admit her Seven presented her with Toby. "You were correct, the presence of Toby did facilitate my sleeping," Seven observed carefully as B'Elanna reached out and took Toby from her and gave him a hug.  
  
"Toby's good at that," B'Elanna allowed distractedly as she noticed that Toby now wore the scent of Seven. Noticing that Seven was looking at her curiously she said, "He smells of you now."  
  
"Not surprising," Seven stated, "He has spent several hours next to my skin." Seven had observed the signs that indicated arousal earlier and now she noted an increase as B'Elanna realized what she was saying. "I have found that I do not like wearing clothing while I sleep." Seven informed B'Elanna casually and noted the Lieutenants reaction to her words. She was now almost positive that B'Elanna was physically attracted to her like Jorunn had been, though she wasn't sure what to do with the information. B'Elanna was, as far as she knew, still involved with Tom Parris and Seven was not certain what she felt for B'Elanna.  
  
B'Elanna delivered Toby back to her bedroom while Seven waited in her living room, she paused a moment to collect her thoughts after the surprising revelation Seven had so casually shared. 'Lucky Toby' she mouthed to the stuffed targ as she laid it on her bed. B'Elanna paused after straightening and thought about what had just occurred.  
  
Seven's first comment was understandable but the second comment... surely Seven hadn't made it solely to ensure that B'Elanna realized that Seven slept nude? If Seven had, it meant that Seven had been watching for B'Elanna's reaction to the revelation.  
  
The more B'Elanna thought about it the more certain she was that Seven hadn't made the comment innocently. Seven was certainly growing up quickly, first Jorunn now this. So much for innocent ex-drones not realizing what was going on around them, thought B'Elanna wryly. The question now was what was Seven going to do with the information she had gathered?

* * *

B'Elanna was starting to wonder if she had imagined everything earlier, Seven had not treated her any differently during breakfast as the day before, perhaps she had been incorrect B'Elanna thought. They were running through the first simulation when Seven looked over at B'Elanna and asked, "You are still intimately involved with Tom Paris?"  
  
B'Elanna glanced at Seven whose face was in profile to her as she watched the data from the simulation. Then again, she thought, maybe she hadn't been incorrect. "Yes, we are Seven. Why do you ask?" B'Elanna wondered what Seven's reply would be.  
  
"After further research into human relationships, I believe I now understand why my study of your relationship with Lt. Paris angered you. If I am correct then I... owe both of you an apology?" the last was said hesitantly by Seven who wondered if she was correct to mention the matter at this time.  
  
B'Elanna looked at Seven surprised by the answer and question; it was not what she had been expecting. B'Elanna debated the wisdom of asking Seven exactly what she was apologizing for and after a look around to verify they were out of the earshot of the other engineers asked, "What exactly are you apologizing for?"  
  
Seven had noticed B'Elanna looking around before she asked the question and after a quick glance assumed that she had been checking to make sure no one else could hear them. "I found that although I was careful not to break any Starfleet regulations during the research, I did break cultural privacy expectations. I also was in error when I answered your question about how I knew about the timing of your intimate relations with Lt. Paris in a public setting."  
  
Seven glanced at B'Elanna trying to see if she had angered the engineer with her reply. She was relieved to see that the woman was showing no signs of anger when she replied, "Apology accepted Seven."  
  
B'Elanna mulled over Seven's explanation and then asked, "You didn't break any regulations?"  
  
"No," Seven looked at her curiously after the short answer.  
  
B'Elanna frowned slightly at the answer, "Regulations prohibit you from using audio detection devices specifically for the purpose of overhearing sounds from quarters without command authorization don't they?"  
  
"Correct B'Elanna," Seven replied.  
  
B'Elanna turned and stared at Seven, "You don't think your enhanced hearing falls into that definition?"  
  
Seven was puzzled for a moment, "I did not need to use my enhanced hearing, the standard sound proofing is designed to block Human vocal emanations, Klingon's are capable of producing sounds that are lower than the rating of the standard sound proofing." Seven looked somewhat apprehensively at the half Klingon as she explained, concerned that B'Elanna would become angry with her.  
  
B'Elanna froze then looked at Seven and noted her tense features, she guessed that Seven was afraid she would be mad at her and she took in a deep breath before speaking. "Are you saying that... certain sounds were clearly audible to any human crewmember who passed by my quarters?"  
  
"Yes, B'Elanna that is why I said everyone when you asked instead of saying that I could tell when you were..." Seven stopped when B'Elanna raised a finger and indicated she should be silent.  
  
After she had answered the crewmembers question and watched him walk away from Seven and her B'Elanna hissed, "You mean everyone in my section knows and no one has thought to inform me?"  
  
"I would not know that B'Elanna, though I can infer that they did not, since you were unaware of the matter." Seven replied trying to be exact in her answer, she had overheard various crewmembers whispering about this very subject in the past. Indeed it was how she became aware of the matter and had decided to use the information to further her study of human sexual interactions. She was not eager however, to share this with B'Elanna in engineering when the volatile woman was likely to react badly.  
  
B'Elanna narrowed her eyes staring at Seven, sensing that she was tying to hide something. She was doing it poorly too, for she was unable to meet B'Elanna's eyes when she usually had no problems doing so. This meant that Seven was aware of who knew about the lack of soundproofing and hadn't mentioned it to her. "I thought we were friends Seven," questioned B'Elanna oddly disappointed.  
  
Seven's shoulders slumped and she glanced around then looked resignedly at B'Elanna, "Yes, B'Elanna. I do not feel it wise to inform you of what I know here." Seven emphasized the word here and was relieved when B'Elanna finally nodded her acceptance.  
  
They spent the rest of the shift working through the various options they had developed the previous evening. By the end of the shift they were pleased to note that the most efficient chemical reaction they had developed was also the one that appeared most likely to work. If it was successful they could take the common, but normally useless, metallic elements found in the Delta quadrant and combine them into more useful forms such as duranium and tritanium while producing small but useful amounts of energy.  
  
Throughout the day Seven had caught odd looks and snippets of conversation from the engineering crew. None of them approached her, however, and she attributed that to B'Elanna's presence. Yesterday while in engineering, she had heard one of the crewmembers saying to another that Lt. Torres would have their head if they upset Seven. Thus, she was not surprised to see curious looks directed at the two of them during the day while no one actually dared approach to ask her any questions.  
  
The conversations today that she overheard revolved around the releasing of the Saga. The most common topic of conversation was the revelation of her actual relationship with the Captain and her position among the Borg. More than one of the engineering crew considered it ironic that Lt. Torres had been more accurate than they knew when she dubbed Seven our Borg Queen and Ice Princess. Very few of the conversations she overheard concerned any other topics and for that Seven was both relieved and disappointed.  
  
One thing Seven became rather certain of however, few people would dare to approach her to ask any questions about the Saga. It seemed that everyone now feared the wrath of the two most powerful women on the ship if they were to cause her any distress. Seven considered the situation and though it was not ideal, it was better than the previous situation where she had frequently overheard derisive or degrading commentary from the engineering crew and the rest of the ship.  
  
Not that she had heard as many comments about her breasts or buttocks since she had started wearing a Starfleet uniform and the Mularan outfits Seven realized. While the form fitting nature of the biosuits had been necessary to ensure the fabrics contact with her implants Seven had come to realize that it had been the cause of much of the perspective the crew had of her as a sexual object first and then a person. Now although the random comments she over heard still concerned how she looked, most of them were no longer offensive in nature.  
  
"Seven?" Seven glanced at B'Elanna and noticed the quizzical look on the woman's face. B'Elanna grinned at her, "What have you been thinking of so intently? I've had to say your name twice before you noticed."  
  
Seven blushed lightly, "I apologize for my inattention, I was thinking of the difference my wearing a uniform has made in the crew's perspective of me. The number of offensive comments I have overheard has dropped considerably and I have had no requests for copulation since I ceased wearing my biosuits." Seven paused thoughtfully, not noticing the darkening look on B'Elanna's face, "Of course it has been only a few days and that was not a frequent occurrence." she added.  
  
B'Elanna listened to Seven with a building inner anger that wasn't totally outwardly directed. She had once listened with amusement at the tales of some of the men in engineering who had approached Seven in the hopes of her repeating the offer she had made to Harry Kim. B'Elanna herself had been the cause of that gossip making the rounds of the ship, and Harry had not been appreciative of her repeating what he had told her and he had chastened her for repeating it. Unfortunately by then it had been too late to stop the spread of the amusing tale of Seven propositioning Harry in the mess hall and Harry's retreat.  
  
"That's good to hear," B'Elanna offered rather subdued at the further evidence of her mistreatment of Seven.  
  
"It was unfortunate that I did not fully understand human behavior when I choose to comment on Ensign Kim's physical attraction to me. Had I known that the other male members of the crew would take it as an expectation that I would make the same offer to them I would have chosen a different manner in which to discourage him," Seven said wryly.  
  
B'Elanna stared at Seven; her mouth started twitching in an incipient smile, "Are you saying that you propositioned him because you knew he would run?"  
  
Seven briefly smirked, "I believe the correct saying is, 'the look on his face was priceless'. It was as efficient a method of dissuading him from further attempts at engaging me in an intimate relationship as my observation of him had indicated."  
  
B'Elanna shook her head; she had never thought to interpret Seven's actions as anything like this. Finally she started chuckling, the look on Harry's face had probably been priceless and knowing that Seven had intended that her actions would cause Harry to retreat made the entire matter even more amusing. "What's wrong with poor Harry?" B'Elanna inquired after she had stopped laughing. Noticing that the engineering crew was staring at her in surprise she raised an eyebrow at the watchers and noted that they quickly returned to their work.  
  
Seven tilted her head considering the question, "After my experiences with Jorunn I believe the answer would be that I am not attracted to men. I have never experienced any signs of physical arousal when I have been in close contact with any male aboard Voyager. Perhaps it is the limited sample however, so I cannot make that determination with any degree of certainty. At the time I did not know that it was possible to be attracted to a member of the same gender, I was only aware that Ensign Kim's advances made me uncomfortable. I knew that I felt only friendship for him, and the prospect of interacting with him in a more intimate manner was distasteful."  
  
"Oh," said B'Elanna in surprise as she stared at Seven. She hesitated a moment then asked, "That list you made of men, was Harry really not on it?"  
  
Seven glanced at her surprised, "I was not aware you knew of that list... Ensign Kim was indeed on the list, I felt it was inadvisable to make him aware of that fact given that I already knew I was not attracted to him. He had accepted that we were friends and I believe it would be considered unkind of me to give him 'false hope' of anything more."  
  
B'Elanna nodded, "That would be correct." B'Elanna decided to change the subject; she needed to think of what to say to Seven about her part in the gossip about Seven and Harry. "I've scheduled an hour in the Holodeck immediately following your time slot so we will have two hours tonight if you would like?"  
  
Seven nodded, "I had noted your scheduling and had hoped that it meant I was invited to share your Holodeck time. I look forward to having more time to practice this evening. Did you want to bring our research to the attention of the Captain this evening or tomorrow?"  
  
B'Elanna answered, "Tomorrow will be good, let's break as we barely have time to change before our scheduled Holodeck time. I'll meet you there? And Seven, of course I meant to share my Holodeck time with you, after all you're sharing yours with me." 


	8. I am Borg, Part 2, Chapter 8

**I am Borg – Part 2 - Chapter 8 **

**By Kudara**  
  
Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and all who sail in her belong to Paramount/Viacom and no infringement of copyright/trade marks is intended.  
  
Warning: Contains f/f references between women.  
  
Stardate: 52700  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Feedback: Always welcome, feedback is what encourages me to keep writing. Please let me know what you like and what you dislike about the story.  
  
Archiving: Archived at ; ; (best place to find most recent postings)  
  
Summary: Weapons training. Seven tells B'Elanna who knew about her quarters soundproofing problem. B'Elanna reacts to Seven's information. Seven speaks to the Kathryn about the problems her emotions are giving her.

* * *

Seven arrived at the Holodeck before B'Elanna, wanting to avoid discussing the topic they had been talking about earlier she entered and began the program, setting the door controls to allow B'Elanna to enter. She walked around to the pavilion and saw M'ara waiting for her.  
  
As she got closer the Klingon woman shook her head at her, "Luckily for you your new physiology allows you to survive spear thrust wounds to your abdomen. I see we need to work on your skills when dealing with multiple opponents. You're lucky that strike wasn't any higher, if it had hit your heart you would have been disabled and perhaps killed."  
  
"You would have allowed me to die?" questioned Seven curiously.  
  
"I do not coddle my reborn, but you need not fear dying in training. However, during any other time... you are not any more protected than any other member of this crew. Do not let yourself start believing you are invulnerable." M'ara informed Seven sternly.  
  
Seven nodded, "I will keep that in mind," she replied with a lifted brow.  
  
"Best you do," said M'ara with a growl. "I would hate to loose you; I've grown rather fond of your continued presence."  
  
Seven's face softened, "I will comply", she assured M'ara.  
  
"Hey, what's this starting without me?" came the amused voice of B'Elanna.  
  
M'ara grinned at B'Elanna as Seven turned, "I believe she wanted to escape your curiosity for awhile longer."  
  
B'Elanna looked at M'ara startled, "How do you know about that?" B'Elanna glanced at Seven wondering why she had mentioned the subject to M'ara but Seven shook her head slightly, silently informing B'Elanna that she had not spoken to M'ara about the subject.  
  
"I am always aware of Seven," said M'ara to B'Elanna.  
  
B'Elanna groaned inwardly, great not only was there a protective Captain watching over Seven but also a energy being powerful enough to be termed a goddess.  
  
M'ara smirked at B'Elanna, and then turned to Seven. "Let us go over your performance with Hakan's men."  
  
Thus began a different type of training session, M'ara recreated Seven's attackers along with a hologram of Seven and the three of them watched as Seven engaged and fought her ten attackers.  
  
B'Elanna watched most of the fight admiringly; Seven's moves had been a flowing, graceful and ultimately deadly dance. The Klingon in her was awed; the Human part of her was slightly dismayed at the combination.  
  
Seven watched the fight with a critical eye, wincing internally as she saw what she had missed right before the moment when the one man had managed to catch her by surprise and injure her.  
  
When the fight was done M'ara asked, "So what did you see that you did wrong?"  
  
"I failed to focus on the entire environment, thus I did not see him pick up the spear," admitted Seven shamed.  
  
B'Elanna nodded agreeing with the assessment, and honesty had her admitting, "I don't know if I could have done any better though. It's hard to keep from focusing on the enemy right in front of you."  
  
"True," said M'ara, "But it is a dangerous habit to get into and one I want to break now. Not only in physical fights such as this but also in other situations such as battles with ships and even political battles. You cannot focus solely on what is right in front of you, you must be mindful of your total environment."  
  
M'ara stared at Seven intently, "This is a critical skill you need to learn. I want you to start going through the infiltrator simulation as well; it also has things to teach you about keeping your focus wide instead of narrow."  
  
Seven raised a brow at these words and looked intently at M'ara, their eyes met for a moment then Seven nodded.  
  
Most of the rest of the training session comprised of B'Elanna focusing on her kata's under the tutelage of Kayaln while Seven practiced against multiple opponents. Then for the last half hour the two of them practiced fighting together against multiple opponents.  
  
B'Elanna, though she was just learning the formal kata's, excelled in multiple opponent combat since that was how she usually practiced her Bat'leth training on the Holodeck. Now with the formal moves under her belt, B'Elanna found herself using the new moves along with the ones she had taught herself. She found that fighting with Seven was an interesting and invigorating experience.  
  
Where B'Elanna fought with passion and emotion, Seven fought with passion and intellect; between the two of them they made a deadly pair. When they finished fighting it was all B'Elanna could do to not turn to Seven and kiss her. Her blood was running high from the fight and the feeling of how well they fought together.  
  
Seven was aware of B'Elanna's arousal; with her sense of smell she could not miss the clear evidence of it. Part of her wanted to respond to it, but a larger part remembered all the unkind words and actions of the half- Klingon. Seven had forgiven B'Elanna enough to consider her a friend, but letting the woman close enough to become a lover was not something she was willing to do without trusting her more.  
  
Thus Seven spoke to B'Elanna somewhat coolly ignoring the woman's arousal, "I will shower and meet with you later to discuss the topic of our discussion of this afternoon?"  
  
B'Elanna nodded somewhat taken aback as she watched Seven stride away quickly.  
  
"How many times today did she look at you afraid of a return to your previous adversarial relationship?" M'ara asked B'Elanna after Seven had disappeared from sight.  
  
B'Elanna glanced at M'ara guardedly, "A few," she allowed.  
  
M'ara looked back at her steadily, "She has forgiven you enough for you to be a friend, when she no longer fears your anger perhaps she will forgive you enough to think of you as a possible lover."  
  
With those words the hologram of M'ara disappeared leaving B'Elanna alone with her thoughts.

* * *

The two of them distractedly discussed the day's simulation results over dinner then proceeded toward B'Elanna's quarters.  
  
"Seven please stop acting like you're going to your own execution," said B'Elanna as the doors to her quarter's closed behind them. "I promise that I won't get angry with you for telling me who knew."  
  
Seven still looked at her uncertainly and B'Elanna explained, "Seven you were not my friend then, I don't blame you for not informing me about it. But you are now, and I'm asking you as my friend to tell me who knew and didn't inform me. Obviously from the way your acting it's someone who you think should have told me."  
  
Seven said in a quiet voice, "I first overheard Lt. Carey informing Lt. Paris of the matter. That is how I knew I could include such data in my research."  
  
B'Elanna was stunned, suddenly understanding why Seven had been so reluctant to tell her the information, just two weeks ago she probably would have erupted angrily at Seven for telling her this. "How long ago did you hear that conversation?"  
  
"Fifty-six days, 8 hours and 45 second ago B'Elanna," said Seven.  
  
B'Elanna smiled weakly at Seven for the exact answer, then turned and walked around her quarters with her hands on her hips considering the information. "Did you happen to hear how Tom reacted to the information?" asked B'Elanna.  
  
"Lt. Paris asked what Lt. Carey meant. Lt. Carey informed him of low toned growls emanating from your quarters. Lt. Paris then informed Lt. Carey that you would be extremely angered to learn of this fact from Lt. Carey and that he would take care of the matter. He then told Lt. Carey that such sounds were evidence that he was doing something right and the two of them laughed," Seven recited the content of the conversation from memory.  
  
"Really," said B'Elanna agitatedly.  
  
"I can recite the conversation verbatim if you would prefer," offered Seven cautiously.  
  
B'Elanna paused, "No, I'm not questioning what you said Seven. I'm just reacting to the thought of Tom implying that he would tell me and his comment that he was doing something right."  
  
"From your reaction, Lt. Paris failed to inform you of the matter," stated Seven.  
  
B'Elanna nodded, "Did you overhear any other similar conversations?"  
  
"I overheard two more conversations similar to the one with Lt. Carey," said Seven.  
  
"And always with Tom?" asked B'Elanna.  
  
Seven nodded, "Yes, they were always with Lt. Paris. The individuals seemed reluctant to approach you with the information B'Elanna."  
  
B'Elanna clenched her fists and thought about rearranging Tom Paris's features. "Thank you, Seven for letting me know. I will discuss this with Mr. Paris later," she said with a definite growl in her voiced.  
  
"B'Elanna please do not injure Lt. Paris, he is not worth being punished for. And I would miss our training sessions together if you were restricted to the brig," Seven stood in B'Elanna's path and caught her eye.  
  
"Don't want to lose your workout partner so soon Seven?" asked B'Elanna lightly, keeping in mind M'ara's words from earlier.  
  
"I do not," Seven answered her with a slight smirk.  
  
"I'll try not to damage Lt. Paris," B'Elanna promised Seven with a smile.  
  
Seven nodded and the two of them parted for the evening. B'Elanna stood in her quarters after Seven had left thinking of the ex-drone. In many ways the evidence of Tom's actions relieved B'Elanna. Now she had an honorable reason for ending the dying relationship.  
  
M'ara's words had made it clear that B'Elanna had an uphill battle to fight for Seven to trust her enough to even consider her as a lover, but B'Elanna was beginning to appreciate that the Borg woman was more than worth the fight.  
  
"Argg," B'Elanna groaned aloud as she realized she had totally forgotten that she needed to apologize to Seven. After a few moments of thought she decided she might as well get it over with and tapped her combadge. "Torres to Seven, can I come over to your quarters for a few minutes?"  
  
Sevens voice responded affirmatively and B'Elanna could pick up the slightly puzzled tone. As she walked the short distance to Seven's quarters B'Elanna acknowledged that she was not looking forward to admitting her part in the gossip about Seven and Harry.  
  
When the door to Seven's quarters opened B'Elanna marched in and without waiting for Seven to greet her she launched into her apology, "Seven I forgot to tell you earlier that I was the one who made the mistake of repeating what Harry told me about the events in the Messhall to other people. I apologized to Harry right after it happened, I should have apologized to you as well at the time...but well, I didn't. I am apologizing now though, I'm sorry it caused so much trouble for you."  
  
Seven waited for a moment to make sure the rush of words was finished, "I estimated a 50% probability that you were the source of the 'gossip' B'Elanna." Seven told her with a raised brow and a slight smirk, "I accept your apology and believe it is my turn to tell you to stop acting like you are going to your own execution."  
  
B'Elanna gaped for a moment at Seven then started chuckling, "Yea, I guess so; I really hope though that this is one of the last apologies I have to make to you. I've never apologized so much during one week as I have this one. It's not something I do well."  
  
"I appreciate that it is not easy for you B'Elanna, I do not believe Klingons are known for apologizing," remarked Seven.  
  
"Klingons do not apologize, so I guess you're lucky I'm only half Klingon," B'Elanna said with a smile.  
  
Seven actually returned the smile briefly, and B'Elanna felt a sudden sharp flash of attraction that she did her best to ignore. Now was not the time to be thinking of her nascent attraction to Seven, she still needed to speak with Paris first.  
  
Seven caught the signs of B'Elanna's arousal and looked at her curiously, uncertain what she had done to cause the reaction. B'Elanna noticed the look and for a few long moments the two of them stared into each others eyes as the feeling of connection between them grew.  
  
Suddenly Seven tore her eyes away and when she looked back at B'Elanna uncertainly B'Elanna was suddenly struck by how very much the look in Seven's eyes reminded her of that young foal. It was the same uncertain and slightly fearful look the young horse had given the spot of ground it had stumbled over and hurt itself on. A sudden sharp pang tore through B'Elanna as she realized what the look meant; emotionally Seven didn't trust her not to hurt her again. M'ara had been very accurate in her assessment of Seven's feelings for her.  
  
Huskily B'Elanna said, "Seven, I can't change what I did in the past. I promise though that I'll try my best not to hurt you that way again. I know I have a temper, but I'll do my best not to direct it at you. Please just give me a chance to show you that you can trust me."  
  
Seven had been looking directly at B'Elanna during her entire speech, and now she dropped her eyes feeling ashamed. "I am sorry B'Elanna, I told you I had forgiven you and I believed it was true. Yet, I find myself unable to forget some of your past actions. My emotions do not seem to want to forgive you; I apologize for lying to you Lt. Torres, I will understand if you do not want to be my friend now."  
  
"No Seven," B'Elanna walked close enough to the woman to place a hand on her arm and get her to look back at her. "You did forgive me, you didn't lie to me. But forgiving me doesn't mean that you trust me, and after the past two years I can't blame you. I have to earn that Seven; I just want you to give me a chance. You're still my friend Seven, unless you don't want to be?"  
  
"I want to be your friend," Seven assured her, "I will give you a chance B'Elanna, I want to trust you. I do not like these emotions."  
  
"That's all I can ask," B'Elanna gave Seven's arm a squeeze and then released it. "Well I'll see you tomorrow morning to make our report to the Captain?"  
  
Seven nodded and B'Elanna wished her a good night.  
  
Seven stared at the closed doors after B'Elanna left, analyzing the events of the last few minutes. She had been deeply disturbed when she realized that at some level she had not forgiven B'Elanna, yet her admission had not made the woman angry. Instead she had been understanding and even supportive of Seven's failure, telling her it that it was not a matter of forgiveness but one of trust.  
  
Seven didn't quite understand the difference, to her forgiving someone meant that you trusted them not to repeat the action that they were being forgiven for. Yet, obviously she had failed to do when it came to B'Elanna. Perhaps Kathryn might be of assistance in figuring out why, thought Seven.

* * *

B'Elanna sighed as she walked into her quarters, thinking of the upcoming discussion with Tom Paris. The day had gone well, Janeway had been rather excited when B'Elanna and Seven had presented their idea for a chemical fusion reactor to her, and she had authorized them to do more testing. If those tests worked then they would be building the chemical reactor shortly.  
  
Seven had spent the day in Astrometrics going over her sensor logs, and B'Elanna had spent the day in Engineering answering some not so subtle questions about the ex-Borg and her changed relationship with her. It hadn't taken the crew long to realize that her guilt induced kindness had changed into an actual friendship, and they were all curious as to why.  
  
The only explanation B'Elanna would give them was that she had misinterpreted the ex-drone all along and it was only now that she was getting to know the person behind the Borg shell. And that she liked the person she had met the past few days. She also informed them that she was lucky that Seven had a forgiving nature and was willing to forgive the things she had said and done in the past. She had essentially admitted to anyone courageous enough to ask her that she had been wrong and the entire engineering crew knew how rare an admittance such as that was.  
  
B'Elanna hoped it would help them begin to look for the person she had met, and undo some of the damage she had done to Seven.  
  
When the admittance chime rang she was not surprised to see Tom Paris.  
  
"Hey, B'Elanna," he said bending over to kiss her and looking surprised when she turned her head so that it landed on her cheek. "You ah... wanted to talk to me?"  
  
"Yes, I do Tom. I think we need to discuss our relationship. Or lack of one to be more precise," said B'Elanna.  
  
"Well, that's not my fault," protested Tom, "You're the one whose been spending all your free time with Seven these days."  
  
"And a certain rumor I've heard recently about several people discussing the lack of soundproofing in my quarters with you," B'Elanna informed him slowly getting angry.  
  
Tom froze and looked at her, catching the rising color in her cheeks and the tight look to her face. "Oh, well yea I meant to discuss that with you... soon. But... I mean it's not like it has been an issue lately."  
  
B'Elanna just stared at him, "Really and when did you plan on having this discussion? Another two or three months from now?"  
  
Tom seemed to deflate, "I guess Carey or Seven mentioned it to you didn't they?" Tom stared at B'Elanna but she didn't answer him. "That's ok, it doesn't really matter. Maybe you're right, we do need to discuss the lack of a relationship."  
  
B'Elanna raised an eyebrow trying to figure out where he was going with the suddenly reasonable attitude.  
  
"Seven has definitely shown me one thing, you don't dislike holoprograms. You just dislike the ones that I like," Tom informed B'Elanna.  
  
"If you mean I like training programs instead of holonovels, then yes you're correct," said B'Elanna.  
  
"And I like using the Holodeck for relaxation not training. You've spent more time with Seven this past week in the Holodeck than you ever spent with me. And well, I've been thinking that perhaps I would like to find someone who enjoys my holoprograms as much as you enjoy playing with your Bat'leth in Seven's," said Tom looking at B'Elanna with a frank look on his face.  
  
B'Elanna looked at Tom and noted the hurt puppy dog look in his eyes, she wasn't sure if he was serious or not but she wasn't about to feel guilty because she didn't like playing Constance Goodheart to his Captain Proton. "I can understand that Tom, and I wish you luck in finding her."  
  
Tom looked surprised for a moment then thoughtful, "So you have someone in mind to replace me already?"  
  
B'Elanna rolled her eyes, "Tom the only thing I have in mind is to get this chemical reactor tested and completed and to try to get my honor back by being a friend to Seven."  
  
"You're taking that honor thing rather seriously," Tom said in surprise.  
  
"Yes, I am. But it's not just that anymore, I've found out we have a lot in common. Both of us have a part of ourselves that we rely on for strength and yet dislike at the same time." B'Elanna paused for a moment then continued in a lower voice, "Both of us have complex feelings about our parents."  
  
Tom looked at her searchingly and then nodded, knowing something about her feelings about her father. "Well," he said, "I hope you two become good friends. Maybe we could go back to being friends too? I seem to remember that we used to do more things together. Like shoot a game of pool or just have drinks occasionally."  
  
"I think we could do that," allowed B'Elanna with a small smile.  
  
Tom grinned back then sobered, "I think I know where we went wrong."  
  
B'Elanna raised an inquiring eyebrow at him wondering what he would come up with.  
  
"I think we both expected each other to change, I expected you to become interested in the same things I was, like my Captain Proton holoprogram," Tom said.  
  
"And I expected you to stop wanting to play your holoprograms and spend time with me," finished B'Elanna surprised at his insightfulness. It was something she had forgotten he could show occasionally.  
  
B'Elanna gave him a somewhat sad smile but Tom shook his head, "Well, I'd better be going. I hope to see you in Sardines sometime soon, maybe we can see if I can still beat you at pool with one hand tied behind my back." He gave her a taunting smile.  
  
B'Elanna chuckled at the old teasing tone, "In your dreams flyboy. Maybe I'll drop by tomorrow night." She looked thoughtful for a moment, "If you don't mind I'd like to ask Seven to join us, she should be good at pool and she needs to socialize more."  
  
"Certainly, but don't confuse an analytical mind with playing pool. Tuvok is a good pool player yet no better than you or I, but the more the merrier. Besides, I'd like to meet the new and improved Seven," Tom replied.  
  
B'Elanna shot him a look and he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, "I'll be nice I promise. No way am I messing with the Captain's daughter, at least not again. Having the Captain mad enough to bite off my head over her once was quite enough for me. Not to mention that having you mad at me is a bad idea as well. I'm not stupid," Tom reassured her.  
  
B'Elanna looked him in the eyes and was reassured by the steadiness with which he met her gaze. She nodded at him, "I'll see if I can't get her to go with me after our workout, I think we are going to try that infiltrator program tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it."  
  
"What's that?" asked Tom intrigued.  
  
"Well depending on the technology setting, you're either dropped into a combat zone with nothing but the clothes on your back or a standard Starfleet scout combat suit. From there you have to successfully sneak up and disarm or kill the enemy to gain supplies and eventually break into their base and reach your objective," explained B'Elanna with a definitely predatory grin.  
  
"Ah," said Tom looking at her predatory smile uncertainly, "Sounds like work instead of relaxation. I think I'll skip that one."  
  
B'Elanna grinned at him; she was looking forward to seeing what Mulara had programmed. Doubtless it would be a challenging and difficult program to complete. "Yea I'm expecting it to be pretty hard, no telling what the program is going to throw at us. From what I saw the higher the technology setting the more technical the traps and security measures will be that you have to break through. And it looks like it increases the difficulty setting if it thinks you are breaking through them too easily."  
  
"Ah, well you and Seven knock yourselves out. I'll look for you two tomorrow evening," Tom said as he rose to leave, a rueful look on his face at the obvious pleasure B'Elanna was showing in participating in what sounded like a cadet training exercise to him.  
  
B'Elanna looked at the door to her quarters for a few moments after Tom had left, reflecting that the ending to their relationship had gone much differently than she had imagined it would. Instead of a fight she got agreement, she just hoped Tom would continue to be as calm if he ever figured out that she did have someone else in mind, she just didn't know if Seven would ever return her interest.  
  
B'Elanna shook her head free of those thoughts and went over to the computer in her quarters. She had been meaning to do some research on the Viking ancestors that M'ara had mentioned Seven being descended from. B'Elanna knew very little about them and M'ara's comment about them being warriors combined with the recreation of Seven's battle had raised her curiosity.

* * *

At 1700 hours Seven presented herself at the Wildman quarters for her game of Kadis-kot with Naomi Wildman.  
  
"Seven!" Naomi greeted her enthusiastically as she opened the door to the Wildman quarters to admit Seven.  
  
"Naomi Wildman, you have been doing well?" Seven asked the young girl.  
  
Naomi looked at her, slightly surprised at the question; it wasn't quite like she remembered Seven. It was not long, however, before they were sitting on the floor playing Kadis-kot and Naomi was informing Seven of all the things she had done since the last time they had played.  
  
After the game Samantha invited Seven to stay for dinner, which Naomi eagerly seconded. Seven, with a slight smile for Naomi, agreed and over dinner she told them about her time on Mularan. Leaving out the details of how she had been injured she told them about the beautiful gardens and invited them to use her Holodeck program to visit them. After dinner she replicated some of the Mularan fruit for desert and was gratified when both of them expressed their liking of it.  
  
After she left the Wildman quarters Seven contacted Kathryn to see if she was free.  
  
"Of course Annika, I'll make us some coffee?" came back the reply, to which she replied "That would be acceptable, Kathryn."  
  
Seven made her way to the Captain's quarters and Kathryn meet her at the door. "Good evening, Annika," she greeted her.  
  
"Good evening, Kathryn," Seven returned the greeting as she entered the Captain's quarters and walked over to the couch to sit down in her accustomed place. Kathryn replicated two cups of coffee, one black and one with milk and sat down beside her.  
  
"So how have you been doing Annika?" Kathryn asked.  
  
"I am well..." allowed Seven, "However, I am experiencing some difficulty with B'Elanna." Seven paused trying to find the words to explain what she was experiencing. "I thought I had forgiven her as she asked but I am having some difficulty in doing so. I explained this to B'Elanna and she informed me that I did not trust her and that she would have to regain that. I am confused as to the difference. I tried to explain to B'Elanna that I had inadvertently lied to her but she insisted that forgiveness and trust were not the same."  
  
Kathryn listened to the rush of words patiently and when it looked like Seven was done she smiled at the confused woman, "Annika its difficult to forgive someone so completely. B'Elanna understands that, which is why she told you she would have to regain your trust."  
  
Seven stared at her unsatisfied, "I have forgiven others without this difficulty. I am finding that my emotions are proving to be a source of difficulty when I try to forgive B'Elanna."  
  
Kathryn noted how Seven seemed to hunch slightly after her last statement, "What are you afraid of Annika?" She knew she had guessed correctly when Annika whipped around her head to stare at her.  
  
"Fear is irrev..." Seven paused mid word and then glanced away from Kathryn and sighed, "I am afraid we will return to the previous antagonistic relationship we had before."  
  
"And if you did?" questioned Kathryn softly.  
  
"I would be hurt if we returned to our previous relationship," answered Seven.  
  
"Those other people you forgave, would you have been hurt if they did the same thing again after you forgave them?" asked Kathryn.  
  
Seven stared at her for a moment then answered, "I would have been disappointed in their inability to change. I would not have been hurt by their action to the degree that B'Elanna doing the same would injure me."  
  
"So the difference is that you care more about your relationship with B'Elanna than you did with them, thus she has the power to hurt you more deeply than they did, which is why you're afraid of opening up to her," Kathryn explained. "You need to be more patient Annika, your new relationship with B'Elanna isn't going to be built in a week. Over time you will be able to trust that the friendship between you isn't going to disappear. And your fears will fade."  
  
Seven nodded slowly, "It was simpler before I started feeling these emotions, they do not seem to be easily controlled by logic. Perhaps I should approach Lt. Commander Tuvok for training in Vulcan methods of emotional control."  
  
"I think you are doing just fine, but if you feel overwhelmed perhaps he could help," allowed Kathryn. She hoped though that Annika would give herself a chance to become used to her emotions before she attempted to replace her Borg emotional controls with Vulcan ones.  
  
Seven caught on to Kathryn's tepid response, "You do not wish me to take that course of action, why?"  
  
Kathryn raised an eyebrow at being so quickly caught, "I just think you should give yourself a chance to become used to feeling your emotions before you attempt to control them. You're Human not Vulcan, you don't have to fear your more aggressive instincts taking control of you."  
  
"You believe that what I am feeling is appropriate then, like B'Elanna," Seven stated.  
  
Kathryn nodded, "Just give yourself some time to become used to not having your nanoprobes control your reactions."  
  
Seven raised a brow, "I believe there is a human saying appropriate to my situation." Seven was remembering how she used to wish that she could feel emotions like the people around her, most especially B'Elanna. "Be careful what you wish for, you may get it."  
  
Kathryn looked at her inquiringly and Seven explained how she used to bait B'Elanna just to see the half-Klingon's open emotions because she could not feel such passion herself. She also rushed to assure her that she had already told this to B'Elanna after seeing Kathryn look at her in disbelief.  
  
"And what was her reaction?" asked Kathryn faintly, still trying to come to grips with the fact that Seven hadn't been as innocent a party in the altercations in Engineering as she had once believed.  
  
"She was more amused than angry; she commented that most people tried to avoid angering her," Seven responded. "Now, however, I find that I do not want to anger her, I am enjoying our friendship much more than the antagonistic relationship we had before."  
  
Kathryn looked intently at Annika, a thought beginning to worm its way through her mind. Could Annika possibly be attracted to B'Elanna? And if so, had she been all along?  
  
Kathryn gestured, spreading her hands apart, palms up while she said, "All I can suggest is that you give it time Annika. I really think that's the only thing that will allay your fears."  
  
Seven nodded, accepting Kathryn's voice of experience in these matters.  
  
After Seven had left, Kathryn stared out of her viewport thinking of the surprising revelations of the evening. If she were to suppose that Seven was attracted to B'Elanna then a lot of Seven's actions since she had come back from Mularan made sense. Her willingness to trust B'Elanna even with their past interactions, could be looked at in a new light. The question remained though, was she correct and if she was what did B'Elanna feel about Seven? The engineer had certainly been spending much of her time with Seven lately, but as far as Kathryn knew she was still seeing Tom Paris.  
  
Kathryn shrugged, as she had told Annika earlier, time solved many things. Likely it would be the solution for this puzzle as well. 


	9. I am Borg, Part 2, Chapter 9

**I am Borg – Part 2 - Chapter 9  
  
By Kudara  
**  
Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and all who sail in her belong to Paramount/Viacom and no infringement of copyright/trade marks is intended.  
  
Warning: Contains f/f references between women.  
  
Stardate: 52705  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Feedback: Always welcome, feedback is what encourages me to keep writing. Please let me know what you like and what you dislike about the story.  
  
Archiving: Archived ralst. com and girlbitz. com as well as fanfiction (best place to find most recent postings)  
  
Summary: Kathryn learns Tom and B'Elanna have broken up. Seven learns the same and she and B'Elanna have a discussion concerning their relationship. First Infiltrator game. Sandrines. surprise, Tom already has a new girlfriend.

* * *

The next day Kathryn was surprised to overhear a discussion between Paris and Kim about Tom's newly single state. From what she was able to gather B'Elanna and Tom had both decided they were better suited as friends rather than lovers.  
  
What exactly this might have to do with the previous night's conversation with Annika, Kathryn wasn't certain. However, the possibilities were intriguing to say the least. Certainly the developing friendship between her foster daughter and her Chief Engineer warranted more of her attention than it had given this new development. Besides, Kathryn thought with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, she wouldn't want to deprive Seven of one of the essential daughter experiences of being completely mortified when her 'mother' grilled her first potential suitor.

* * *

"Tom and I agreed to go our separate ways last night," B'Elanna casually informed Seven, who was assisting B'Elanna with routine monthly maintenance on the EPS conduits.  
  
Seven looked up from where she was examining the readings from her tricorder, surprised at the casual admission. She was uneasily aware that the information she gave B'Elanna was the probable cause of the failure of B'Elanna and Tom's relationship. Seven frowned, "I did not mean for my apology to cause conflict in your relationship with Lt. Paris, I have erred."  
  
"No, you didn't err Seven, Tom did. And it wasn't really that anyway, the information you told me was just the final thing that made it clear to me that Tom couldn't be the person I needed him to be. We even discussed how both of us went into the relationship thinking we could get the other person to change. Of course, that failed. The fact that we both felt the other one had to change meant the relationship was doomed anyway. So don't blame yourself Seven," B'Elanna hastened to reassure her.  
  
"I do not understand, B'Elanna, clarify...please," Seven requested puzzled.  
  
B'Elanna sighed lightly, "I thought that Tom would stop playing around with his cars and Captain Proton program and spend more time with me when we decided to be in a relationship. He thought that I would be more willing to spend time with him playing around with his cars and playing Constance Goodheart," B'Elanna said rather sarcastically. "We both expected the other to make rather radical changes so we could be together, and that didn't happen. It wasn't a good way to begin the relationship, so it's not surprising that it didn't work out. You just helped me see that Seven, you didn't cause any of it."  
  
Seven recalled the reading she had done, "My studies indicated that potential intimacy should start with a mutual friendship which included common interests or the willingness to develop common interests. Though you had a friendship with Lt. Paris neither of you were willing to develop common interests. Is my understanding correct B'Elanna?"  
  
"I'd say that pretty much sums it up," agreed B'Elanna wryly.  
  
Seven paused and stared at B'Elanna, uncertain how to ask what she was curious about. Finally she decided to be truthful. Seven paused to scan for life signs other than their own in the Jeffries tube, mindful of the cultural need for privacy, and ignored B'Elanna's inquisitive look. "I have noticed signs of physical arousal when you are around me B'Elanna, was that also one of the reasons for the termination of your relationship with Lt. Paris?"  
  
B'Elanna winced inwardly; she had certainly just been thoroughly disabused of any remaining illusion that the ex-drone hadn't noticed her attraction. "It might," B'Elanna allowed, "But that doesn't change the fact that the relationship was pretty much over anyway. Besides I would say we need to work on building a friendship first, and I don't know if you're even attracted to me Seven. So once again, you were not the cause of my break up with Tom."  
  
Seven nodded, "This relay is functioning within acceptable parameters, B'Elanna." She informed the Lt., while she considered whether or not she was expected to reply to B'Elanna's statement that B'Elanna did not know whether or not Seven was attracted to her. B'Elanna stared at her for a moment, and Seven wondered if she had seen disappointment in her eyes before she indicated they should move on to the next relay.  
  
Seven reached out and stopped the half-Klingon, "I am unsure what I feel for you B'Elanna. I believe I am still too uncertain that the current state of our relationship will continue." Seven paused then continued in a lower tone, "You already know I consider you to be beautiful B'Elanna, it is not just your emotions that I find beautiful. I also find you physically beautiful."  
  
B'Elanna looked at her doubtfully.  
  
Seven let go of B'Elanna's arm and tilted her head to the side, "I am being honest B'Elanna.  
  
"Even my Klingon ones?" asked B'Elanna with a definite doubtful tone.  
  
"Your Klingon heritage is part of your beauty B'Elanna. Your forehead ridges, your skin tone, your physical strength, the sound of your double hearts, your increased body temperature and your distinctive smell are all part of what I find to be beautiful about you B'Elanna," Seven stated calmly.  
  
"Oh," said B'Elanna surprised at the listing of the physical traits. "My smell?" she questioned, then winced wondering if she really wanted to hear Seven's answer.  
  
"Yes, I find your scent to be pleasing, when we are not arguing it has a..." Seven paused then inhaled deeply and looked thoughtful, "soothing effect on me. I am uncertain why this is."  
  
B'Elanna stared at Seven, soothing was not what she had expected Seven to say, she didn't see herself as a soothing type of person by any stretch of the imagination. Yet she knew Seven wouldn't say it if it wasn't true, "I don't really see myself as a soothing type of person Seven," she finally admitted.  
  
Seven nodded, not surprised by B'Elanna's words. She had trouble understanding why she perceived the other woman's scent to be soothing as well. In the past it had always produced a strange ache in her as the dichotomy between her feelings of safety in the engineers presence was contradicted by B'Elanna's aggressiveness toward her. Lately however, with their changed relationship, there was no such dichotomy and Seven was free to experience the first without the second.  
  
"Yet I find it to be so, because I feel safe in your presence... It hurt when we would argue. Even when I would initiate the argument," a touch of the sadness of that time reached Seven's eyes for a moment before she straightened. "We should continue to the next relay B'Elanna."  
  
Kathless, thought B'Elanna, I have been such a Peta'Q. Please let me not have destroyed all hope of anything between us. Impulsively B'Elanna reached up and gently cupped the side of Seven's face. "I want you to feel safe with me Seven... I wish I had realized it earlier."  
  
Seven stilled feeling the warmth of B'Elanna's hand cupping her cheek so gently. Almost instinctively she turned her head into the contact, deepening it, and took a breath smelling the scent of B'Elanna from the pulse point in her wrist. Suddenly Seven was aware of something she hadn't been willing to face before, mixed in with the feeling of safety was the stirring of desire. Seven looked at B'Elanna, not certain what to do about the feelings the woman's touch had stirred in her.  
  
B'Elanna watched with surprise as Seven turned her head to rest her face more fully in B'Elanna's hand. As Seven turned to look at her with eyes that had deepened from grey-blue to blue, B'Elanna recognized the desire in them and the uncertainty. B'Elanna breathed in deeply, controlling her own rising desire and stroked Seven's face with her thumb softly before dropping her hand away.  
  
"Let's get moving to that next relay or we will be late for our Holodeck time tonight Seven," said B'Elanna with a smile. Then at the slightly confused expression on Seven's face she explained softly, "Friendship first."  
  
Seven nodded understanding and picked up the tool kit and followed along behind B'Elanna as they moved toward the next relay. She couldn't help but be aware that the nature of the relationship between them had just changed yet again.  
  
For one thing she didn't recall ever being so quite aware of exactly how B'Elanna's uniform emphasized the muscular nature of her buttocks as she walked. Or how the slenderness of her waist contrasted so pleasingly with the width of her shoulders and the roundness of her hips. It was as if the simple touch had awakened something inside her that had been there all along but previously dormant.  
  
B'Elanna reached the next relay and turned around to glance at Seven only to see her drop her eyes away from her gaze and blush slightly. Slightly confused by her reaction she automatically began examining the relay while Seven took readings of the plasma flow. Suddenly a possible reason for Seven's embarrassment came to her, had Seven been checking her out? B'Elanna tried to remember where Seven's gaze had been directed when she turned around. She found it most frustrating to realize that she couldn't remember.  
  
Suddenly B'Elanna realized she really hadn't given serious thought to what she wanted. In many ways Seven's seeming indifference to her attraction had made it easy for her to just react without seriously considering the further implications. Seven might not be totally innocent any more but she was still very innocent when it came to relationships.  
  
B'Elanna glanced at Seven as they worked out of the corner of her eye. Seven was definitely beautiful; she was also loyal, honorable and truthful almost to a fault. Add to that the sheer physical strength she possessed and it was no wonder her Klingon half was attracted to the blonde.  
  
B'Elanna knew... or thought she knew that Seven would be hurt if her first relationship was based purely on physical attraction. She was beginning to see how gentle and caring the ex-drone was capable of being. Seven did have a ruthless side, but it always showed up when Seven was protecting someone or something she cared about.  
  
B'Elanna decided that perhaps being as honest as Seven usually was might be easier than trying to speculate as to what Seven expected from her first relationship. "Seven, what are you expecting from your first relationship? I mean, are you looking for a casual relationship or a serious one?"  
  
Seven looked at B'Elanna surprised for a moment then she considered her question. "I am uncertain B'Elanna; the Doctor prior to my own research had given me the impression that one only could only have one relationship that progressed through several well defined stages to a binding relationship such as marriage. My research since has indicated that his description is flawed."  
  
B'Elanna stared at her gaping, "That's an understatement, I can't believe he told you that. What is he back in the twentieth century?"  
  
Seven smiled briefly at B'Elanna, "My own research has indicated that several different approaches to relationships are acceptable. It is permissible to engage in casual relationships for the purpose of sexual intercourse for pleasure without any expectations of marriage. It is also permissible to 'date' several people while searching for the person one intends to 'marry'. Such dating may or may not involve sexual intercourse."  
  
Well that was definitely succinct thought B'Elanna, "Well yes those are all true, but what approach do you want to engage in Seven?"  
  
Seven was silent for a long moment, "While I have come to understand the desire to engage in sexual intercourse for physical pleasure, I believe I would prefer to 'date' with the intent of finding someone I would wish to...marry."  
  
"That's my preferred approach as well," said B'Elanna.  
  
They worked together for a few more minutes in relative silence, only speaking when it was required by their work. Seven had been replaying the events of the afternoon in her mind in between the moments when she needed to work. She knew the conversation they had just had was significant, she believed they had just defined the parameters for a potential intimate relationship between the two of them but she was not entirely certain.  
  
"B'Elanna should I interpret our recent discussion as an indication that you wish to date me?" inquired Seven, deciding to continue the honest tone that the conversation had kept so far.  
  
B'Elanna chuckled softly, "I knew you would get around to asking that Seven. You took a few more minutes than I expected actually... To answer your question, yes eventually I hope we can date. But I think we both know that we still need to work on our friendship first. We have common interests and enjoy spending time together, but we can't date until you trust in our friendship and in me." B'Elanna paused in her work to look frankly at Seven as she said the last.  
  
Seven nodded solemnly, "I will comply B'Elanna."  
  
B'Elanna frowned slightly, "Comply with what? Working on our friendship?"  
  
"I did not mean to be inexact, B'Elanna. Yes, I will comply with working on our friendship. I wish to trust you," Seven's voice dropped and she sounded almost shy when she spoke again, "I find the thought of dating you to be... very appealing. I am having a very different reaction than when I contemplated dating Lt. Chapman."  
  
B'Elanna grinned at the last comment, "Well I certainly hope so Seven. So, what tech level were you planning on playing tonight?" B'Elanna decided a move toward a less intimate conversation was needed at this point.  
  
Seven accepted the sudden change in subject, replying "I was planning on playing at current technology levels. I have looked at the specifications for the current Starfleet stealth combat suit and believe they can be greatly improved. I would like to work with the unmodified suit first though, if you do not have any objections B'Elanna."  
  
"No, none at all. As a matter of fact, would you like some help in modifying the suit? That sounds fun quite frankly," B'Elanna replied intrigued by the thought.  
  
"Your assistance would be welcome, B'Elanna," Seven smiled at B'Elanna briefly with pleasure.

* * *

Promptly at 1700 the two of them met outside of the Holodeck for their first Infiltrator program run. Seven was dressed identically to B'Elanna in a standard Starfleet workout pants and halter top. Which was not surprising as it was the suggested outfit to wear under the combat suit. B'Elanna stared at her arms for a moment admiring the intricate interweaving of the exoskeleton bands running along her arms and shoulders. Seven looked at her curiously then held out her arm.  
  
"You may examine my exoskeleton more closely if you wish, I have had many crewmembers stare at me as I walked here. A few of them seem to have had difficulty navigating the corridors as they walked into the corridor walls after I had passed," Seven said dryly.  
  
B'Elanna glanced at her and detected the slight twinkle in the blonde's eye and laughed at the statement. "I can't blame them for looking Seven, its very eye catching." Curiously she gently reached out and touched the design finding it to be the same temperature as Seven's skin and oddly enough soft and supple to the touch.  
  
She had expected it to be different, harder and less giving. She looked at Seven who was watching her touch her arm with an intent expression and her breath caught at the darkness in Seven's eyes. The phrase sensitive to tactile touch went through her mind and she wondered exactly how sensitive Seven's exoskeleton was. "Thanks," she said somewhat huskily. Seven nodded silently and seemed to shake herself slightly and nodded toward the Holodeck doors.  
  
The previous occupant had already left so they were able to step immediately into the program once Seven had started it running. Seven had specified a forested terrain and as a result the combat suits they found themselves wearing were colored with various shades of green and brown in random patterns designed to allow them to blend into a forested environment.  
  
Combat Stealth Suits were comprised of an outer exchangeable shell that covered the actual suit. The Combat Stealth Suit was designed with built in sensor technology that was able to duplicate many of the detection capabilities of a tricorder. The readout was displayed on a hands free display projected onto the interior of the polarized face plate. The energy and bio readings of the suit and occupant were masked so that most sensors would not be able to detect them.  
  
Their first task was to establish encrypted local range communications between the suits. Seven quickly accomplished this and encrypted the transmission using Borg encryption codes. The transmission also allowed them to monitor each other's biosigns so they could tell if the other was injured.  
  
"Transmission encryption complete, successfully reading your biosigns B'Elanna. All suit senor readings functioning normally, energy and bio sign masking operating normally," Seven reported when she was finished.  
  
Seven could not see B'Elanna's face behind the camouflaged face plate which was disconcerting, but it also mean that B'Elanna would not notice that she was admiring how the form fitting suit looked on the muscular woman. B'Elanna finished the diagnostics on her suit and indicated to Seven that they were ready to get their mission objective.  
  
The mission was fairly simple, they had been inserted two miles away from their mission objective which was a small communications station that they needed to infiltrate and destroy the communications equipment. Preliminary reconnaissance reported signs of Jem'Hadar troops guarding the area as well as various types of sensors.  
  
"This is at a medium setting?" B'Elanna questioned thinking of the difficulty of getting past Dominion troops.  
  
"Yes, B'Elanna," Seven verified.  
  
"Ok, any suggestions?" asked B'Elanna wondering what the difficult setting might throw at them.  
  
"bISovbejbe'DI' tImer," growled Seven.  
  
B'Elanna started, then grinned at the incongruity of having to figure out how to translate Klingon spoken perfectly by a Borg ex-drone. "When in doubt, surprise them?" she hazarded.  
  
"Yes, we need to figure out what type of attack they are expecting by the placement of their personnel and sensors, then attack them in an unexpected manner," Seven offered.  
  
B'Elanna nodded, it was sound strategy.  
  
It took them thirty minutes to work their way to within a mile of the communications station, during that time they figured out that most of the sensors and personnel seemed to be set for large scale troop movements, not small unit destroy operations.  
  
Suddenly the medium difficulty setting made sense, all they had to do was not be detected by the Dominion troops or sensors and the mission should be easily accomplished. Of course both of them were aware that battle plans rarely lasted past the first engagement.  
  
Using their suit's equipment they worked their way toward the station at a deliberate pace, avoiding the sentries and working their way around the various sensors.  
  
At one point they were almost surprised by one of the sentries and they quickly rolled into some bushes for cover. Seven was surprised to find herself rolling down into a small gully and stopped herself, then caught and stopped B'Elanna from rolling any further.  
  
B'Elanna had been surprised when the gentle slope suddenly turned into a more steep one and she started rolling faster than she wanted, arms caught her and she found herself resting atop Seven who had caught and stopped her. They both froze at the sound of the sentry calling out to another, both of them knowing at this point that trusting in their camouflage was probably the best option.  
  
B'Elanna was very aware of the form of the woman underneath her, and she couldn't help but relax into the body beneath her, fitting them even closer together. She could see nothing of Seven's face but the bio readouts told their own tale of Seven's heart and pulse rate. B'Elanna knew that her own readouts were telling Seven much of the same information.  
  
Finally Seven indicated that they could move and B'Elanna reluctantly levered herself off the taller woman. They continued their way cautiously toward the station, finally dropping and crawling the remainder of the way until they were within visual range of the station.  
  
The two of them watched the movements of the guards and figured out where all of the sensors were located and what area's they covered. Unfortunately it appeared that their ability to evade the Jem'Hadar had ended. From now on they would need to neutralize the enemy quickly before they could alert the surrounding troops.  
  
After some argument they agreed that they would attempt to take out the two outer guards first then quickly move to neutralize the remaining inner guards. From here on out they would have to count on luck and speed to accomplish the mission.  
  
Seven crawled close to her designated guard then, when she was as close as she thought she could safely get, she signaled her readiness to B'Elanna. When she received the counter signal she sprang from where she was lying and sprinted to the guard. The Jem'Hadar's moment of surprise was all she needed to snap his head back with a decisive blow to his face. Somewhat sheepishly she felt the facial bones break and realized she had probably killed her opponent.  
  
Seven felt it was somewhat of a failure for her since she was trying not to be lethal during the program, however she had prevented the guard from raising the alarm, so within the scope of the mission it was a success. She glanced over to check on B'Elanna only to see her opponent go down with an unnatural angle of the head that indicated that B'Elanna had snapped her opponent's neck.  
  
Efficient noted Seven with some pride at the other woman's evident strength, a Jem'Hadar was not a weak opponent. Seven brought her attention back to her mission and entered the building with B'Elanna following only a few steps behind. Seven split off to the right while B'Elanna took the left hand corridor.  
  
Both of them had appropriated the rifle that both guards had been carrying. Seven with one intent look at the foreign weapon resolved to pause and examine it in more detail later. It was likely that Mulara had provided them with an accurate duplicate of a weapon with which they were totally unfamiliar.  
  
Seven focused her attention forcefully back onto her surroundings, reminding herself that she was supposed to focus on her environment at all times. Noting her sensor readings she detected a room with three Jem'Hadar, nine meters down the corridor. Observing their positions she leapt to the entrance of the room and fired at the first Jem'Hadar then dove under the return fire and took out the second. The third Jem'Hadar almost managed to fire upon her but she shot at him almost instinctively and was surprised to see him drop. Perhaps Kathryn's ability to instinctively aim and fire was not out of her reach, Seven thought.  
  
Seven kept on the move, continuing around the corridor in time to assist B'Elanna who had been pinned down by four remaining Jem'Hadar. Taking them by surprise Seven was able to take down two of them which allowed B'Elanna to move to a more advantageous position and take down the remaining two Jem'Hadar.  
  
The two women examined the communications equipment and were able to quickly devise a feedback loop that would overload the equipment with energy and fuse the components. It took them another minute to set up the loop and initiate it, then they destroyed the sensor network with their Jem'Hadar rifles and proceeded back out of the communication station.  
  
Using the sensor equipment in their suits they were able to evade the sentries that were responding to the attack. A minute into their ex-filtration the computer announced the successful accomplishment of their mission goal and asked if they wished to continue the scenario until they reached their entry point.  
  
Seven responded with a quick affirmative and the two woman raced as quickly as they could toward their entry point. As they were running Seven caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. Before she could entirely process the information she found herself reaching out and pulling B'Elanna into her, rolling the both of them onto the forest floor as energy beams passed over their heads.  
  
Seven had retained possession of her rifle and it only took her a second to identify and target one of their attackers. B'Elanna had lost possession of her rifle when Seven had grabbed her but she located it quickly and began firing back as well. Between the two of them they managed to take down all of their attackers, but they only had ten minutes left in the program by the time they were finished with the fire fight.  
  
Picking up their pace they decided to rely on speed to get them the last quarter mile. Four Jem'Hadar suddenly beamed into a space directly in front of them, surprising Seven and B'Elanna momentarily. Seven did not slow her momentum and used it to deliver a devastating kick to the first Jem'Hadar she reached. Blocking the blow from another one she noticed one of them drawing a weapon and threw herself at him, tackling him midsection and bearing the both of them to the ground.  
  
B'Elanna had been a few paces behind Seven and snapped off a quick shot that took out one of the remaining two opponents, then when Seven and the Jem'Hadar she had tackled separated she shot him as well. "Run," she gasped out, knowing they were close to their designated entry point. Seven who had rolled to her feet, spared a moment to nod and the two of them reached the designated location with only moments to spare.  
  
As the Holodeck faded, to reveal the machinery that emitted the holo programs, the two of them smiled at each other.  
  
"Qapla'," exclaimed B'Elanna.  
  
Seven's mouth quirked up in a smile, "Qapla'," she agreed.  
  
"Sardine's for a cup of bloodwine, Seven?" B'Elanna suggested, still running high over the final fight and sprint for the entry point. "Tom wanted us to stop by if we could."  
  
Seven nodded, "I believe it is customary to toast a victory."  
  
B'Elanna reached up and slapped the blond on the back in agreement, not surprised when Seven didn't move much. An amused look and raised brow was all the reply she got right before Seven returned the favor, rocking the smaller woman slightly.  
  
B'Elanna grunted slightly and then laughed at Seven's return of the gesture. B'Elanna was happy to see that Seven was at ease with her tonight, fighting together in the Holodeck always seemed to improve Seven's level of confidence in their friendship.  
  
As they walked into Sandrines. B'Elanna noted the presence of the Captain and Chakotay in addition to Tom, Harry and a woman hanging all over Tom who B'Elanna finally recognized as Ensign Brooks. Everyone paused in surprise at seeing the pair of them, or perhaps it was at the sight of Seven thought B'Elanna.  
  
"Computer provide Mularan shirt and wrist wraps in royal blue in my size and a similar set in dark red in Lt. Torre's size," Seven said when they were fully in the Holodeck. The neatly folded clothes appeared in Seven's hands and she handed the red set to B'Elanna as she quickly slipped her shirt over her head and wrapped the banding about her waist and wrists. B'Elanna followed suit and curiously touched the soft fabric after she had figured out the wrist and waist wraps.  
  
"The style and color suit you B'Elanna, I am glad that you did not mind that I asked for a set for you. I have wanted to see how you looked in the style." Seven commented before she turned to the bartender and said, "cha' 'Iw HIq"  
  
B'Elanna noted some curious looks from those who overheard the Klingon phrase for two bloodwines; she noted that the Captain merely looked amused as she examined her two officers. Tom was looking a bit sour as she continued to calmly ignore him and the red headed woman who was hanging all over him in favor of getting her drink with Seven. "No I don't mind, I'm glad you like how I look in them," she replied to Seven.  
  
Seven took the two drinks and handed one to B'Elanna, the two of them ritually tapped their glasses together and Seven said, "Sigr, victory."  
  
B'Elanna smiled guessing Seven had spoken Old Norse and replied "yay."  
  
With that the two of them took deep drinks of their bloodwine, celebrating their first win over the Infiltrator program.  
  
The Captain came over and said, "I understand you two were running through Mulara's Infiltrator program. I gather you succeeded in your first mission." She indicated the two glasses with a smile.  
  
"Yes, Captain," Seven answered. Between the two of them they began to enthusiastically fill in the Captain and Chakotay who had wandered over to listen.  
  
"Jem'Hadar," mused the Captain, "Seven you said you thought the rifle might be an accurate replica of one of their weapons?"  
  
"I believe so, Captain," answered Seven.  
  
"Might be a good idea to study one then, the Federation probably already knows everything about their weapons but we don't. And you never know we might run into a race in the Delta quadrant which uses similar technology," Janeway said, informally ordering them to research the Jem'Hadar rifle.  
  
Janeway and Chakotay left Sandrines. shortly afterward, in the corridor after the doors had shut Chakotay commented on how he had never thought that the two would make friends much less Seven start picking up Klingon habits from B'Elanna.  
  
Janeway smiled, "I think part of the reason Seven does that is to see the expression on people's faces. She has a very dry sense of humor and I could see her smirk right after everyone reacted to her ordering those drinks."  
  
"How did you notice that?" asked Chakotay, "she had her back to us."  
  
"Reflection behind the bar," Janeway smiled at Chakotay.  
  
Chakotay shook his head smiling, "Now I'm going to start looking for it, I wonder how many other things she does just to see people's reactions."  
  
"Oddly enough, less than you might think. She still has trouble understanding the concept of humor. I just noticed the Klingon thing tonight because she was watching B'Elanna's reaction and B'Elanna was watching ours," said Janeway.  
  
Back in the Sandrines. program B'Elanna and Seven had joined Tom, Harry and Susan Brooks at their table. The three of them had apparently been playing one of Tom's Captain Proton programs. It was all B'Elanna could do not to chuckle at Tom as he tried to make her feel jealous over Brooks who apparently enjoyed playing Constance Goodheart.  
  
"I believe you are better at participating in Lt. Paris's programs than I am," Seven said to Ensign Brooks, "I misunderstood the role of Constance Goodheart and proceeded to disable the robot that threatened me. It was not a challenging opponent."  
  
B'Elanna almost spit out the mouthful of bloodwine she had at Seven's comment, she recalled that Tom had whined to her about that once and she had found it amusing even then.  
  
Susan Brooks leaned over and put an arm around Tom's shoulder, "Oh I don't mind letting Tom and Harry rescue me, I find it enjoyable just to play along in the role."  
  
"Well Tom was saying he wanted to find someone that liked participating in his programs with him, I'm glad it didn't take him long to find you Susan," B'Elanna commented with only slight sarcasm. Knowing full well that Tom had probably already been seeing Ensign Brooks when they broke up. Seeing Tom's startled faced at her comment helped, apparently he thought that he would be rubbing his new girlfriend in her face. So much for the lets be friends like we used to be, she thought.  
  
"Why don't we go have some real bloodwine instead of the holographic type Seven," she commented.  
  
Seven nodded, "That would be acceptable B'Elanna." Seven stood and waited for B'Elanna to get up. She had caught on to the fact that the presence of Ensign Brooks was designed to make B'Elanna regret ending her relationship with Lt. Paris. After watching B'Elanna's amused reaction and Lt. Paris's disgruntled expression she realized that he had failed. She wondered if he was aware of B'Elanna's interest in her but from the way he reacted around her she thought he was not.  
  
"I thought you couldn't drink Seven," said Tom.  
  
"I could not before I died, now though I react normally since my cortical node is not affected by it," Seven replied as she and B'Elanna stood to leave.  
  
"Oh," came the reply from Tom.  
  
The two of them left Sandrines. and started for B'Elanna's quarters.  
  
"You were not upset by the presence of Ensign Brooks?" questioned Seven.  
  
"Nope," replied B'Elanna lightly, "I hope they get along well together and Tom gets over trying to make me feel jealous."  
  
Seven nodded as the two of them entered B'Elanna's quarters. B'Elanna replicated them two bloodwines and they sat down and began discussing how to examine the hologram Jem'Hadar weapon.  
  
The conversation continued as they went to the mess hall for a late dinner where Harry Kim joined in the discussion. Tom Paris was no where to be seen and B'Elanna assumed that he was probably still with Ensign Brooks. She shrugged internally and focused on listening to the conversation. They all agreed that they should study the weapon first in the Holodeck, and then when they had learned all they could there they would replicate the actual weapon and finish their study.  
  
B'Elanna and Seven parted company late in the evening, agreeing to meet in engineering the next day to finish their experiments on the chemical reactor. Projects were starting to stack up and they needed to get that one completed before they could start studying the Jem'Hadar weapon in earnest. 


	10. I am Borg, Part 2, Chapter 10

**I am Borg – Part 2 - Chapter 10**

**By Kudara**

Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and all who sail in her belong to Paramount/Viacom and no infringement of copyright/trade marks is intended.

Warning: Contains f/f situations between women.

Stardate: 52719

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Always welcome, feedback is what encourages me to keep writing. Please let me know what you like and what you dislike about the story.

Summary: Seven and B'Elanna bring the chemical reactor online, and begin investigations of the Jem'Hadar weapon. Tuvok joins B'Elanna and Seven on the Holodeck and realizes M'ara's true nature.

* * *

It had taken them a week of hard work to finish the chemical reactor, they had made the final connections to the plasma grid this morning and now they were ready to initialize the first reactive process.

"Adding metallic ions," B'Elanna reported, standing next to the input control panel.

A few minutes later, "Energy production at 10%, tritanium molecules are starting to collect in the output chamber." said Seven, who was standing at the reactor's main control panel.

"Bringing input mix up to 50% of nominal," B'Elanna looked over at Seven waiting to see what the results of this action would be.

Seven watched the displays in front of her intently, "Energy production rising...30%...35%...40%...45%... energy production at 50%."

They continued raising the input mix in stages until they reached a 100% nominal mix and Seven was able to report that the energy production was at 100% as well.

B'Elanna gave Seven a triumphant smile and walked over to the main EPS system displays, looking at the total ship's energy levels. "There it is, energy levels are rising... 105%... 110% of normal and holding steady, we've done it Seven!" B'Elanna looked over at the woman still monitoring the output displays and could tell that Seven was pleased. Over the past week B'Elanna had grown much more adept at reading the expressions that fleeted over Seven's face.

One night after an unarmed training session she had asked Seven why she didn't show her emotions more openly. Seven had admitted that she had attempted to learn how to smile more readily but had been displeased with the results, declaring them unsatisfactory. After she had managed to persuade Seven to show her the 'smile' B'Elanna had to admit that Seven was correct, it didn't look quite right, it was too forced.

"I think that smiles have to be spontaneous to look natural, Seven," she had told her and had grinned at Seven's disgruntled look.

Seven had also admitted that she didn't feel comfortable with showing her emotions visibly. When B'Elanna had asked why, she had admitted that she didn't really know why, the thought was just uncomfortable. Noting how Seven had hunched over slightly while she was speaking of the subject B'Elanna remembered when she had been talking to Tom and Harry about the same subject and had said that perhaps Seven didn't feel comfortable with the crew knowing how she felt. Now looking at Seven she believed that she had guessed correctly.

B'Elanna didn't know if Seven's reserved nature came from the Borg or if it was part of Seven's own personality. After she had managed to talk Seven into showing her some of the Raven logs she thought that it might just be part of Seven's personality exacerbated by Borg conditioning. B'Elanna's heart had ached for the bright, inquisitive six-year-old revealed by those logs. Young Annika's questions had almost been prophetic given what had happened.

B'Elanna's wandering attention was drawn away from Seven as she glanced to see who had come into engineering. B'Elanna stood up straighter as she saw that it was the Captain who had come down, probably to see how their project was progressing.

Janeway walked over to B'Elanna with an expectant look, "How is it going?"

"Ship's energy levels are at 110%, Captain," B'Elanna reported to her.

"Congratulations are in order then," Janeway said, "and I'll be increasing replicator rations later on today. I'm sure the crew will be appreciative of your efforts, I know I am." Janeway smiled at the two of them, they had worked hard on this project. She had dropped by engineering frequently to check on their progress and to quietly observe the two of them as they worked together. One didn't have to be an astute observer to notice the growing friendship and attraction between the two women.

They might have thought they were being discrete, but anyone watching would have noticed that Seven looked at B'Elanna when she thought B'Elanna wasn't watching, and B'Elanna looked at Seven when she though Seven wouldn't notice. And both of them pretended to be engrossed with their work if the other noticed them watching. Janeway had found it a rich source of amusement the entire week.

Janeway had noticed Ensign Brooks hanging all over Tom Paris earlier in the week at Sandrines. When B'Elanna and Seven had walked in she had been prepared to intervene if B'Elanna got angry, but B'Elanna had just given the helmsman an amused and condescending look and had turned her attention back to Seven. It had been at that point that Kathryn thought she was correct about the two of them being attracted to one another.

Now, of course, she was absolutely certain the two were attracted to one another. She was also pleased to note that they seemed to be taking things slowly and that B'Elanna was obviously working on regaining Seven's trust. It had seemed a strange pairing at first, given their history, but after seeing them work together for over a week she was beginning to see that the two of them were suited to one another. Both of them were incredibly bright, honorable, strong women, and both felt themselves to be different from the rest of the crew. Janeway's main concern now was that the two of them might be too alike, which could work for or against them.

"The chemical reactor is functioning as expected Lt. Torres, Captain," Seven's voice intruded into Janeway's thoughts and she focused on the younger woman that had walked over to the two of them.

"Yes, it is. I was telling B'Elanna that I will be increasing the replicator rations for all the crew this afternoon. I would like your input into how much of an increase we can afford, I was thinking an increase of two replicator rations a day for each crewmember?" asked Janeway. She could almost see the calculations going on in both their heads.

B'Elanna nodded and turned inquiringly to Seven raising an eyebrow. Seven responded, "That should be acceptable and still leave the ship with a slight surplus of energy. B'Elanna do you agree?"

"Sounds good to me, I know I will enjoy the extra replicator rations," affirmed B'Elanna.

"You two will be starting on the Jem'Hadar weapon next?" asked the Captain.

"Yes, I'd like for Harry to help us if that's alright Captain?" asked B'Elanna.

"I'll let him know," the Captain assured her. "Well I've got to get back to the Bridge, good job you two." Her praise brought out a full smile from her Chief Engineer and a straightening in posture and a pleased look from Seven. She smiled at the both of them and then left for the Bridge, their next project should prove interesting; no doubt Harry would be pleased to assist.

Back in engineering the two women discussed the possibility of using the deflector dish to gather a metallic ion stream that could be fed directly into the chemical reactor. Both of them agreed that it should be fairly simple to do if they ever need to do so. They finished up the last diagnostics on the chemical reactor and filled out the necessary logs and reports, before they were finally ready to look at the Jem'Hadar weapon.

"B'Elanna, Holodeck 1 will not be in use for another two hours, should I reserve it for us to begin examining the Jem'Hadar weapon?" asked Seven.

"Yes, and make sure you use engineering's hours and not your own, I'll see if the Captain has spoken to Harry yet." B'Elanna answered her as she tapped on her combadge to speak to Harry. "Torres to Kim."

"Kim here," came the reply.

"Hey Harry, has the Captain spoken to you yet about working with Seven and I on the Jem'Hadar weapon in our Infiltrator program?" she asked.

"She just mentioned it to me, are you two about to start working on it now? It sounds interesting." Harry replied.

"Meet us on Holodeck 1 Harry, we're reserving it for two hours." B'Elanna

"I'll see you there in a few minutes," Harry closed the channel.

B'Elanna nodded to Seven and the two of them proceeded to Holodeck 1. Once there the two of them copied the Jem'Hadar weapons information from the Infiltrator program to a new holodeck program and initiated it. When they walked into the holodeck the Jem'hadar rifle was resting in the middle of the holodeck floor.

"Computer, add a table to the holoprogram," B'Elanna requested.

A simple metal table appeared on the holodeck and Seven, who had picked up the rifle, placed it on the table before requesting a few more items. "Computer add three tricorders to holoprogram and place on second table." Immediately, approximately three feet away from the first table a second one appeared with the three requested tricorders upon it.

"Computer add firing range with weapons diagnostic sensors to program," Seven said after the tricorders had appeared. Suddenly the appearance of the holodeck changed to that of a standard Starfleet firing range. They were now standing at the upper end of a large rectangular area with the two tables they had added earlier, the remainder of the area was filled in with the firing range.

"Good idea," B'Elanna remarked as she walked over to examine the diagnostic screens on the wall nearest them.

Harry arrived, stepped into the holoprogram at that moment and looked around with an interested expression on his face. "Looks like you have been busy."

"Ensign Kim," Seven smiled slightly at him, "Is there anything you would like to add to the program?"

"No, it looks like we have everything we need," Harry commented.

Seven nodded, "Computer save program Engineering four five two."

The three of them each took a tricorder and began to examine the Jem'Hadar rifle.

"It appears to fire tachyon pulses," noted Seven as they examined the weapon.

"Nice power capacity, 5 x 108 megajoules," noted B'Elanna.

"I wonder what they use for a power source?" asked Harry, "Ours only produce 3.45 x 108 megajoules"

"They appear to use a more advanced power cell; the technology is not familiar to me." Seven admitted.

"So the Borg aren't in the Gamma Quadrant," said B'Elanna.

Seven nodded, "They had not been when I was last with the Borg."

Harry picked up the weapon judging the weight, "It's 158 grams heavier than our phaser rifles, and 18 cm shorter. It uses some type of durtanium alloy for the casing. I'm still tying to figure out the composition.

"Harry could you take a look at the hologram and see what you can determine from the coding?" asked B'Elanna.

"Certainly," said Harry.

By the end of their two hours they had a better idea of the durtanium alloy composition of the outer casing of the rifle, as well as some idea of how the power cell operated. Firing tests had given them information on the weapon's tachyon particle beam at different power settings. The weapon was capable of stunning an enemy at its lowest two settings. The remainder of the settings would kill most humanoids. At its upper range the Jem'Hadar rifle was noticeably more powerful than the Starfleet type 3b phaser rifle.

"Our holodeck time will end in 5 minutes," Seven looked up from her tricorder at B'Elanna and Harry.

B'Elanna nodded, "Tonight's unarmed combat again, Seven?"

"Yes, B'Elanna. Lt. Cmdr Tuvok accepted my invitation to join us." Seven responded.

Harry looked at the two women, amazed that there had been no sign of irritation between them as they had worked together over the past two hours. He knew they worked out together three times a week for two hours and had been surprised when he had seen the reoccurring time blocks. The past couple of hours had been enlightening; the two women seemed very comfortable in each other's presence, freely complementing each other and Harry whenever one of them figured out something about the rifle.

Harry had also noticed how frequently they looked at one another; he had heard rumors from the other engineers that something was going on between the two. He had laughed when he first heard it but now... it was definitely apparent that something was going on. Harry glanced at B'Elanna only to see that she was once again glancing at Seven and Harry could swear there was a wistful expression on her face. Just then Seven looked up and caught B'Elanna staring, and Harry was surprised to see Seven's face soften and for her to give B'Elanna a slight smile

Harry felt more and more like a voyeur as the two women stared silently at each other for several seconds. Then Seven blushed faintly but did not lower her eyes from B'Elanna's. Harry jerked his eyes back to B'Elanna when he heard a faint growl off to his right and noticed the decidedly possessive and hungry look B'Elanna was directing at Seven.

"Well, I guess its time for me to get going back to the Bridge." Harry said in an overly loud voice that brought him to the attention of both women. As both women looked at him, surprised, he nearly fled the Holodeck thinking to himself 'Seven and B'Elanna?' Then he thought, 'I wonder if that was the real reason B'Elanna was so willing to break up with Tom? Seven and B'Elanna were spending a lot of time together even before they broke up'.

'The truly amazing thing', he thought to himself, 'was that Tom hadn't started a betting pool on when the two would actually get together yet'.

B'Elanna and Seven stared at Harry's retreating back for a moment then Seven looked at B'Elanna with a raised brow. B'Elanna had the grace to look slightly embarrassed at her obviousness. "I'm not going to apologize for being attracted to you Seven."

Seven smirked, "I would prefer it if you did not," she allowed. "Our Holodeck time is up."

"Computer save program." Seven paused waiting for the computer to comply and then ended the program. The two of them walked out of the Holodeck and to the turbolift. "I must analyze some scans in Astrometrics. I will see you at 1700 hours at Holodeck 2."

"Ok, Seven. I'll see you there, is Tuvok showing up at 1700 or later?" asked B'Elanna.

"Lt. Cmdr Tuvok stated he would be present at 1700 hours B'Elanna," said Seven. The turbolift stopped at Deck 8 and Seven smiled briefly to B'Elanna and exited the turbolift for Astrometrics.

B'Elanna grinned and watched admiringly as Seven walked down the hallway before the doors closed and shut off her view of Seven's form. Seven's steady gaze and comment in the Holodeck had given her a boost to her confidence that Seven would eventually trust her enough for them to become lovers. B'Elanna felt a slight quiver work its way along her back and shoulders at the thought of having the blond woman underneath her, or over her for that matter.

The turbolift stopped and the incoming crewman stopped and backed away giving her a wide eyed look. B'Elanna was puzzled for a moment before she realized she had been growling slightly, embarrassed she pretended she was angry and stomped by the crewman who flattened against the wall to let her by. B'Elanna shook herself trying to work off the lustful feelings. She knew that she felt more than just a physical attraction for Seven, but right now it was hard to remember that with her Klingon blood raging for her to claim the woman.

* * *

At 1700 the three of them met at Holodeck 2. Seven started the program and they entered the recreation of the Mularan inner temple grounds. Tuvok had declined being shown through the holoprogram by High Priestess Analea, so he had never seen the grounds before. After she heard this Seven suggested that they take a few minutes to see the gardens before heading over to the training area.

As she had suspected Tuvok found the gardens very interesting, B'Elanna found them less interesting than Tuvok but she did admire them. After taking longer than fifteen minutes the trio headed back around the path and toward the practice area.

M'ara was waiting for them and spoke in flawless Vulcan, "Tuvok son of T'Meni, thee are welcome here. I am called M'ara."

Seven quietly translated for B'Elanna knowing that she would not understand the language; Tuvok gave her a glance as she did so and Seven realized that he had not known that she knew Vulcan. Seven was uncomfortable for a moment, her knowledge of Vulcan was of course from the Collective, but then she gave herself a mental shrug. She had not been responsible for the events at Wolf 359 any more than she had the other events of her life while she was in the Collective.

"I thank you for your welcome, M'ara," Tuvok replied politely, both B'Elanna and Seven could see him staring intently at the Klingon holo-character.

"I am pleased you enjoyed my gardens, I believe you would find them an excellent place to meditate," commented M'ara.

"Your gardens?" questioned Tuvok intently.

"Yes, my gardens. You surely didn't believe I would leave Seven's training to a holo-program no matter how well written?" M'ara smiled at Tuvok.

Tuvok straightened, "Seven, Lt. Torres were you aware of the nature of this program?"

B'Elanna felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, "I thought you were already aware of the identity of the holo-character Tuvok. I mean she's named M'ara..." B'Elanna trailed off.

"I too assumed that you and the Captain were already aware of the purpose of the holo-program Lt. Cmdr Tuvok," said Seven. She stared curiously at Tuvok, amazed that he had not made the logical connection between the name M'ara and Mulara. Then of course there was the fact that she still had an unknown task that would be asked of her as a reborn. Mularan history made it clear that Mulara personally made sure that the reborn had all the information and training they needed to accomplish that task.

Tuvok raised an elegant brow at them, "The similarities in names had occurred to me, I should have pursued the information sooner. I must inform the Captain of the situation now that I have been made aware of it."

"Please do, I need to discuss a few things with Captain Janeway," M'ara informed Tuvok. This statement drew looks from all three present. Tuvok hesitated a moment, looked at M'ara intently, then nodded and stepped away to contact the Captain.

M'ara turned to Seven, "Kayaln is dreaming, I believe you would benefit from speaking with her Seven." M'ara made sure Seven was looking at her and then she glanced over at B'Elanna, making it clear what the topic of the conversation should be. Just then Kayaln appeared among the trees on the other side of the pavilion walking toward them. Seven glanced quickly at B'Elanna and then back at M'ara and nodded.

As Seven strode through the pavilion she heard M'ara address B'Elanna, "Let us see how much practicing you have been doing of your Mok'bara katas B'Elanna." Seven smiled, knowing that M'ara would be pleased she knew B'Elanna had spent several hours practicing the Klingon martial arts forms. B'Elanna was determined that she would not be a liability in the Infiltration program.

Kayaln greeted her with a warm smile, "You look well, Seven."

Seven smiled briefly back, and then when Kayaln held out her arms gratefully accepted the hug.

"M'ara said you needed to talk?" asked Kayaln.

Seven nodded and glanced over toward where B'Elanna was practicing with M'ara. B'Elanna was moving through a kata with M'ara performing the opponent's moves. B'Elanna glanced up and looked intently over to where they were; suddenly M'ara moved up next her and cuffed her across the side of her head, rocking B'Elanna.

"Pay attention to your enemy, not your hormones!" M'ara yelled at her.

"Oh," said Kayaln knowingly. "Perhaps we should go for a walk," she suggested.

Seven nodded to her and glanced one last time at B'Elanna who was now paying strict attention to her teacher and then followed Kayaln deeper into the trees.

"Tell me about her, Seven," Kayaln urged when they had moved out of sight and hearing of the pavilion.

At first slowly and then with more confidence under Kayaln's patient questioning Seven discussed the events of the last two weeks, and the tumultuous feelings those events had stirred up in her.

"Feelings are not irrelevant," said Kayaln with a smile.

"They are uncomfortable though," said Seven.

"They frequently are, but it's often worthwhile. What are you afraid of Seven? There's something holding you back from moving to the next logical step with her. What is it that stops you from telling her you would like to begin dating?" asked Kayaln.

"I do not know if she feels anything beyond a physical attraction for me, I find it... insufficient," admitted Seven.

Kayaln was silent for a moment, marshaling her thoughts, "From what Mulara has told me of Klingons, B'Elanna has been very restrained."

Seven considered the statement, "That is true, however, B'Elanna is only half-Klingon."

"Perhaps, but from what you're telling me she's reacting to you as a Klingon would, not as a human would," said Kayaln.

Seven frowned slightly, thinking, "She was attracted to the blood smell of my exoskeleton, she growls when she is aroused by my presence. You are correct; she has been reacting more like a Klingon than a human." Seven looked slightly surprised as she realized this.

"I would say that she has been showing a lot of restraint then, wouldn't you? Isn't that indicative of something more than just a physical attraction? Besides, most people start with a physical attraction to each other and a friendship, and then date to see if the relationship can develop into something deeper," Kayaln grinned at Seven.

"The purpose of dating is to let these deeper feelings develop?" asked Seven.

"If they can, sometimes it doesn't work out that way though. Dating doesn't come with a guarantee of success, Seven. But you will never know if it's possible unless you try," Kayaln said gently.

"I have been in error then, I should have agreed to date B'Elanna earlier," said Seven somewhat agitatedly.

"No you have not been in error Seven. You needed to be able to trust B'Elanna before you started dating her." Kayaln's emphasis of the word 'before' was not lost on Seven. "The question you need to answer before you start dating her is: do you trust B'Elanna Seven?"

Seven turned and looked back towards the pavilion, thinking of the events of the past week, she had begun to feel a strong yearning for the engineer's company at some point during it. The warm smile B'Elanna gave her when she first saw Seven in the mornings, the praise she now freely and easily gave when Seven helped her work through a problem, and the intently aroused gazes that made Seven sharply aware of her own physical attraction for B'Elanna.

But did she trust her yet? "Yes, I trust B'Elanna," Seven answered.

Kayaln beamed at her, "Then you might want to start thinking of what you want to do for your first date, Seven." Seeing Seven's suddenly anxious look Kayaln suppressed the desire to chuckle and instead placed a reassuring arm around the younger woman's shoulders. "An invitation to dinner is usually considered acceptable Seven."

Seven looked at her perplexed, "We frequently eat our meals together, those were not dates." Seven concentrated on remembering what she had learned about proper dating protocol, she knew Kayaln was correct but she was as well. "Proper dating protocol specifies that the location where the food is consumed is important."

Kayaln nodded, "Either that or the meal be special in some way, but something should be different from the meals you normally have together."

Seven considered her statement, "I have Holodeck time, there are many restaurant programs available for use. Perhaps one of those would be appropriate?"

"Would the food be real?" asked Kayaln curiously.

"It would be real food; each program has a set number of ration slips that are used per person."

Kayaln smiled at Seven, "That sounds perfect."

The two of them continued to discuss various restaurant choices for a short while then Kayaln insisted that they go back to the pavilion so Seven could train.

After the cuff upside the head B'Elanna focused on her teacher, she had been angry for a moment then embarrassed. The conversation between them since had been limited to corrections and praise from M'ara and questions about certain moves from B'Elanna.

Out of the corner of her eye B'Elanna caught sight of the Captain approaching and hesitated only to have M'ara shout "Focus! I didn't say we were done yet! How can you expect to protect Seven if you can't focus." B'Elanna knew her surprise was clearly visible for M'ara continued speaking as they performed the moves of the katas. "What, did you think I was teaching you all this for play? The time to decide will be soon, Seven is one of my reborn and she will need you B'Elanna."

B'Elanna could feel the Captain and Tuvok watching and listening, yet they did not interfere. B'Elanna could only guess that M'ara meant for them to hear this conversation. "What do you mean the time to decide will be soon and what do you mean Seven is one of your reborn?"

"Your decision B'Elanna will be whether or not you can fully commit to being Seven's mate when she makes the choice whether or not to take on the task I will ask of her. I will not tell you what the task is for Seven will not be ready for the decision for several more months. Yet I want you to know that the task will be a worthy one, as worthy as the one that Kathless undertook. It will be one that will risk both your lives and probably those of Voyager as well should the Captain choose to support Seven." M'ara finally stepped back from B'Elanna at this last and looked over to where Captain Janeway and Tuvok stood.

M'ara looked back at B'Elanna, "I expect that Seven will decide to undertake her task. She will need someone that she can depend on to support her, and more than that, she will need someone to love her. I believe you can be that person, but you need to make that choice. And I want you to make it knowing that a future with her will not be an easy path for it will mean that you will have to commit to her task as well."

B'Elanna looked at M'ara's grave, serious face and nodded understanding that M'ara was telling her that if she pursued a relationship with Seven that she had better be certain about the depth of her feelings. 'It's a good thing we are taking things slowly' thought B'Elanna.

B'Elanna noticed M'ara turning toward the Captain, "Captain Janeway, I am pleased to meet Annika's chosen mother."

B'Elanna noticed that Janeway had her hands on her hips and was looking none too pleased with the situation. Upon hearing M'ara's statement she seemed to unbend slightly, "Should I call you M'ara or Mulara?" she asked in a neutral tone.

"Whichever you prefer," M'ara said smiling. "Seven and B'Elanna call me M'ara, perhaps it would be simpler if you did as well."

B'Elanna tried to stay unnoticeable while the two of them gave each other measuring stares. Finally the Captain said, "Thank you for restoring Seven's life."

"She was unjustly killed by one of my people, and she was worthy of the saving," said M'ara simply. M'ara smiled, "You have found her worth saving a time or two yourself Captain."

Janeway's mouth twitched briefly, "Yes I have."

Both of them were silent looking at one another then Janeway said, "What task will you ask Seven to perform?"

M'ara chuckled, "I cannot tell you that Captain. Seven will know her task when it comes before her, then she will decide to perform it or she will not."

"And if she doesn't?" asked Janeway.

M'ara shook her head, "I will not tell you that either, it would unduly influence her."

Janeway looked narrow eyed at M'ara after that statement, then in a surprising change of subject, "Could you transport Voyager back to the Alpha Quadrant?"

M'ara looked at her calmly, "Yes I could but you do not want me to."

"Why not?" Janeway asked in a tight voice.

"Because if I do the Federation will be destroyed within the next 100 years, if you find your own way home then most possibilities are that the Federation will survive well past that point," said M'ara bluntly.

B'Elanna was stunned by the information, what possible difference could it make how they got home? Janeway looked stunned as well but also concerned thought B'Elanna.

"We do something on our way to the Alpha Quadrant that changes the timeline so greatly?" Janeway asked, doubt obvious in her tone. "Does it have anything to do with Seven's task?"

"It is a combination of events that Voyager will face on the way to the Alpha Quadrant and the task to be placed before Seven. But if you are not there to take place in those events things will go badly for the Federation later. Do not underestimate Voyager's influence in events in the Delta Quadrant, you will continue to play a pivotal role in them," M'ara finished speaking and she and Janeway stared at one another solemnly.

Janeway looked at B'Elanna and Tuvok then sighed, "I won't ask for you to send us back then. Lt. Torres, Tuvok, M'ara's identity is considered classified as is the conversation you just heard. The crew doesn't need to know that Mulara could get us home but we cannot take it."

B'Elanna nodded, "Understood Captain." Janeway was right the crew didn't need to know about this, B'Elanna wished in a way she didn't. The thought that Voyager and Seven would be required to do something that would save the Federation from destruction was intimidating.

"Captain Janeway, I need you to assist in Seven's training. B'Elanna should also be included," said M'ara with a penetrating look at B'Elanna that caused her to straighten warily.

"What type of training?" asked Janeway.

"Leadership, decision making, tactics..." said M'ara.

Janeway and Tuvok both stared at her with keen expressions, "You want me to put them through command training?" Janeway asked.

"That will work as a basis, but they will need a different emphasis than the standard Starfleet command training," said M'ara. She turned toward B'Elanna, "B'Elanna why don't you go and work with Kayaln and Seven while I speak to Captain Janeway."

B'Elanna glanced over past the pavilion and noticed Seven and Kayaln returning, she caught Janeway's nod to her and said respectfully, "M'ara, Captain." Then she smartly turned and walked toward the other side of the pavilion.

Seven and Kayaln paused as she approached and Kayaln said, "Perhaps the two of you would like to practice against multiple opponents?"

B'Elanna felt a anticipatory smile forming, and noticed Seven looking at her with an amused expression on her face. B'Elanna knew that Seven found her obvious enjoyment of fighting multiple opponents amusing but it wasn't like Seven didn't enjoy herself as well thought B'Elanna smugly.

Kayaln chuckled at the two of them, "It's obvious that both of you think my suggestion is a good idea." Kayaln paused for a second, "Defend yourselves," she suddenly said as the area around them suddenly filled with opponents.

Janeway paused in her discussion with M'ara for a moment to watch B'Elanna and Seven defend themselves against multiple holo-characters that had suddenly appeared. The two of them were outnumbered by six to two but they appeared to be easily winning the battle.

"They fight well together," said M'ara.

Janeway nodded, the two of them did fight well together and if M'ara's training request was any indication they would need to depend on that ability. Leadership, ethics, both single and fleet tactical training, and diplomacy, were the topics Mulara wanted Janeway to teach Seven and B'Elanna. Janeway hadn't gotten any further answers about the future from Mulara, but given the training emphasis she had a few ideas about what Seven and Voyager might be asked to accomplish to save the Federation.

B'Elanna and Seven thanked M'ara and Kayaln for the evenings training and ended the holoprogram. They exited the Holodeck and began the short trip back to their respective quarters on Deck 9. Seven glanced uncertainly at B'Elanna, finding the prospect of asking the woman for a date the following evening irrationally daunting.

Gathering up her courage Seven said, "B'Elanna, if you have tomorrow evening free I would like to invite you to a dinner date on Holodeck 2 at 2000 hours."

B'Elanna stopped, which caused Seven to stop as well, and turn to look at her, "A date?" she asked.

Seven squared her shoulders and looked into B'Elanna's eyes, "Yes, a date B'Elanna. I feel it is time for us to see if our friendship will... develop into a different type of relationship."

B'Elanna felt like chuckling but knew that Seven would likely take it poorly at the moment. Seven's erect posture and serious demeanor would have once annoyed her, now though, especially given the subject matter, she found herself fondly amused with Seven. B'Elanna reached out and grasped Seven's right hand, "I would like that."

Seven's face seemed to light up from within at B'Elanna's words and she allowed the smaller woman to tug her into walking again. B'Elanna did not let go of her hand and Seven squeezed it gently, feeling happier and more optimistic than she could ever remember.

Part 2 Completed.


End file.
